2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Have you noticed how birds will sing in the morning as the dawn approaches but it still appears to be totally dark? The other morning I was up very early and the birds were really singing. Somehow they sense dawn coming or maybe they see something we don’t see.
A few years ago as we drove through Eastern Tennessee on our way to North Carolina, I was able to view the entire spectrum from darkness to dawn to the rising of the sun. I was thinking of the birds singing while it was still dark and I wanted to detect the very first, faintest hints of dawn. It is such a blessing to watch the dawn unfold in all its glory.
I knew to look east, but importantly, I knew which direction was east. I was also confident; as we all are that the sun will come up. This all speaks to me of faith. When we are in spiritually dark places – even when it is at its blackest, it’s important that we know that the spiritual ‘dawn’ is coming and by faith we know where to look. Faith will sing and rejoice in the coming dawn when others might be wondering if there is anything to sing about. Faith sees what others don’t.
I think of Lucy in the Narnia Tales. She is always the first to see Aslan. She sees him when the others don’t. It has to do with faith and relationship with our Lord and having eyes that see the unseen. We have a God and Savior who is with us always. In those dark and difficult places we can sense and see the evidences of Him. In fact we can be confident He’s there whether we see Him or not. We are not alone. Nor are we at the mercy of anyone but Him.
The next time you feel down or alone, think of it as the early morning before the dawn. Faith enables us to have confidence the spiritual ‘dawn’ is coming. The Lord is with us and it is to Him that we must look. As we do, faith enables us to experience His blessing and reassurance just as our physical eyes enjoy the dawn.