How God Sees Us

As the mom of a toddler and a baby, I’m seeing life through new eyes—and to my precious little girls, everything is new and so much fun! The wonder of childhood certainly makes it easier for kids to be happy and carefree. In somewhat the same way, Ecclesiastes chapter eleven helps us to see that youth, though brief, is a time to enjoy life. Chapter twelve takes it a step further, reminding us that these days don’t last, but the text doesn’t just leave it there. Solomon’s final piece of advice in Ecclesiastes, which helps us better understand how to live this life of having faith and enjoying God’s good gifts, is this: to fear God and to do what He tells us to do.

Don’t let the word fear throw you. It’s not saying to be afraid of God; instead, it means to respect Him. And if you do, if you’ve given your heart and life to Him, you’ll want to do what He says because you understand that He is the way—the only way—to truth and life! It’s no longer a power struggle—it’s a transformational way to live. When we realize that as we submit ourselves to God, He, in turn, gives us everything we need to live. And living like this sets us free.

In this freedom, serving God and doing what He tells us to do doesn’t feel like a heavy burden. Instead, we feel encouraged to love and serve Him with joy because we have a greater understanding of how God sees us. He sees who we really are through the eyes of His love. Numerous verses remind us of His great and perfect love. Here are just a few:

• The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God (1 John 3:1).
• Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then, you can be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).
• Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38–39).

In today’s verses, we read that through the lens of His love, God sees everything—the good, the bad, and even the ugly things we thought were buried deep and out of sight. Much like a parent who you think doesn’t know what you’re really going through, He knows. He sees. And most importantly, He loves you no matter what you’ve done. It’s why John 3:16 is the ultimate love verse. It reminds us God sent Jesus, His only Son, to live as a man, to take on the sins of every person past, present, and future, and to die a cruel death on a very cruel cross so that we would have a pathway to become clean and live with our Father in heaven for eternity. We may no longer be kids, but we’re always seen through His eyes of love and ultimate sacrifice. And that is enough to help us respect and follow Him all the days of our lives.

Find Your Way

Get real with how you feel about God, saying that you are to follow Him and do what He tells you to do. Write down anything that comes to mind as a possible pushback or resentment.

Is there a specific feeling you’ve been avoiding? Are you carrying guilt that continues to nag at you? If not, then thank God for where you are. But if something or someone comes to mind, then write about the situation and take it before God in prayer. Go back to the verses above that remind us of God’s love, and highlight the words that speak to you. Remember,

living is not about control as much as it is about being transformed. He loves you more than you could ever know!

Prayer

Thank You, Father, for Your ultimate gift of love. I offer up my life to You again today to follow Your will and Your way. I am Yours. Amen.

Reflect on It

As you reflect on the week, consider what you’ve learned about finding your way to the life God has mapped out for you. Highlight the statement(s) below that speak to you, then on the journaling lines, write notes to yourself so you can remember God’s truth and live it out every day.

• The way we infiltrate the culture is to influence it by the way we live.
• Be faithful in your current responsibilities as you live out your purpose, which is to show Jesus to the world.
• Don’t allow the fear of messing up keep you from using whatever God has given you.
• You have the power to choose what you do.
• Consider God’s great love as you look to Him and follow Him all the days of your life.

Rest and Worship

God designed each week to include a day of rest. Use this day to take a time-out from the world and worship Him. Whether it’s worship music that helps us turn our eyes and thoughts toward God or a song that describes exactly how we’re feeling, music is a gift that helps connect our spirit with God’s Holy Spirit. Here are two of my favorites for this week:

“Firm Foundation (He Won’t),” by Maverick City Music, featuring Chandler Moore and Cody Carnes

“How He Loves,” by David Crowder*Band

Lord, thank You for Ecclesiastes, the book that reminds me to not put too much focus on things that don’t last. Instead, Jesus, I purposely put my eyes and my focus on You! Thank You for Your daily wisdom that helps me make the most of my life. Amen.