In life, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s going wrong…to set our focus on how messed up our lives are. Sometimes we put way too much focus on our mistakes. And other times, we focus on our pain, or the matter of what someone else has done to us. We look at where we are now, as evidence of what may happen in our futures…as proof of where we are headed. But today, I want to flip the script. I want to remind us of another type of evidence..the evidence of our God…that there is someone higher than us, greater than us, watching over our lives.
In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” (Acts of the Apostles 14:16-17 NLT)
According to the book of Acts, God left evidence of himself and his goodness on the earth. He left evidence in the ways that He provides for the earth. But that’s not all, he left evidence in our surroundings–the beautiful trees, the sky, bodies of water, ect. All of these things are magnificent, glorious, and calming to our souls. And, the sight of them gives us a sense of peace. Why? Because they are evidence. Their glory points back to the Creator.
This evidence is proof of His greatness.
This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken!... (Isaiah 66:1-2 NLT)
Our mighty God is far greater than the earth that we live on, because He created it. He says that heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool. So what are our lives to him? I’m not saying that our lives are meaningless. I’m just trying to put things into perspective for us.
He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:17 NLT)
If God holds all things together, why don’t we think he can hold our lives together?
Remember, He created us. He formed us in our mother’s womb. And He didn’t create us to wander on the earth. He didn’t create us to be confused people. No. He formed us for a purpose. To walk with Him. To learn from Him. To follow the path that He’s already planned for us.
But, the troubles of life can often get in the way of us knowing this. We can get so wrapped up in the evidence of pain and regret, that we lose sight of the evidence of God. But, we must know that life does not have to be this way. We don’t have to live in our mistakes, our pain, or our regrets. We can acknowledge them. We can address any changes we need to make moving forward, but then we have to do just that…move forward. We must set our sights on where we are going, not where we’ve been. In this way, we allow the grace of God to work in our lives. In this way, we allow Him to use the bad for our good.
Blessings require our participation.
If we are to ever walk in purpose, if we are to live in the promises of God, we must choose to see the evidence of God. Yes, it sounds easy, but from experience, I know it’s not.
There have been times when the evidence of failure piled up around me. There have been times when the evidence of betrayal surrounded me. And all I wanted to do was surrender to it, because I didn’t have the energy to do anything else. These were moments of sadness and depression. These were times when I felt hopeless. But in the midst of that pit, the Holy Spirit told me to get up. And I believe that this is what He is saying to you today.
Get up!
I know you’ve probably faced your share of pain. Maybe you’re dealing with that pain right now, but in the midst of that pain, get up. Don’t allow the betrayal to overtake you. Don’t allow the failure to keep you from living in the promises of God. Choose to see the evidence that He’s left for you.
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. (James 1:17 NLT)
Look outside of yourself. Look outside of your situation.
I’m not sure what’s troubling you, but today, I want to tell you to look outside of it. Take some time to walk with God. Look at the beautiful things around you. Soak in His creation. Maybe you can spend the day at the beach or lake. Maybe you can take a walk in your neighborhood or a park. Maybe you know of an area near you that has a view of the mountains. Or maybe just sit outside on the porch and gaze at the sky. Whatever it is, trust me, this breath of fresh air will change your perspective.
My family has been through a few difficult seasons. We’ve been through times when the evidence said we wouldn’t make it. But in those times, we choose to look outside of our situation. We didn’t have a lot to work with, but we found that going on family walks just gave us a sense of peace. So, as we walked, we took in God’s creation. We paid attention to the nature around us–the beautiful trees, flowers, and animals. We loved to watch the birds in the sky. And each time, we were reminded that God is greater than what we were going through.
God’s evidence gives us hope.
Are you in need of hope today? Are you searching for proof that God has good things planned for your life? If so, look at the evidence all around you. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Your beautiful family is from Him. Your health is from him. You home and all of your provisions are from Him. The fact that you have breathe in your body is because of Him. And He never casts a shifting shadow. This means that He never changes. He has been good, and He will always be good. He has taken care of you, and He will always take care of you. He has blessed you, and He will continue to bless you. Choose to see the evidence today.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for creating me. Thank you for forming me with a purpose in mind. Today, I have been reminded that you left evidence on earth for me…you left proof of your greatness and goodness. And today, I am choosing to focus on that evidence. I will no longer focus on my situation. I will no longer focus on the pain, failure, or mistakes of my past. Instead, I am choosing to focus on you. I will take in all that you have blessed me with. I will look for evidence of promise in my surroundings, and I will set my sights on the purpose that you have for me. I believe that you have an amazing plan for my life. And by faith, I believe that you are leading me there, regardless of what my situation looks like. I will walk with you. I will place my trust in you. I love you, Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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