I heard this quote that really resonated with me, “If all you see is what you see, then you’re not seeing all there is to be seen.” It’s one of the few quotes that actually has merit.
When our life is turned upside down and we only focus on the problem directly in front of us, we’re not seeing all there is to be seen. If we allow this negativity to persist it will hold us hostage. If we allow our present circumstances to direct our way of life, we will not free ourselves from our problems and reach the level of success God has in store for us.
As a Christian, I’m a firm believer that our circumstances do not dictate the level of success we can expect to receive in life. There have been times when people ask me, “ How’s it going?” and I simply replied with a smile, “I’m fine” or “I’m good,” even when everything in my life is on fire. Even though I felt like I would be consumed at any moment, I knew things would get better.
We should never allow negative circumstances to direct our entire life. Viewing life from a negative perspective is not how God wants us to view life. Circumstances are allowed in our life to teach us not to defeat us. This is why we are to see more than what we see. View life from God’s perspective, not the negative situation that Satan has placed in our path.
In order to view life from more than what you presently see, you need to go to God in prayer for His assistance. When you’re faithful, God will give you whatever attributes you need to help win your battle. After properly applying your attributes of strength, courage, or whatever, it is you were lacking, now you just need to stay calm and carry on.
I’ve been in some pretty difficult circumstances in my life. I’ve had situations with my health, finances, the list goes on. It was my God-given drive, my mom’s wisdom, and unwavering support that helped me to make it through those fires. I took time to see more than what was physically in front of me. I reflected on past situations and wins. All of which motivated me to keep going especially when I wanted nothing more than to quit.
I’m currently in another situation right now that reminds me of the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:1–27). Just in case you’re not familiar with this story, the CliffsNotes version is that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and was leading them to the Promised Land. One of the first cities that God wanted to give them was called Jericho. Now, this city was completely walled in. The Israelites had no idea how they were going to overcome this barrier.
They knew it would be impossible for them to conquer this city without God. God gave them instructions on how they were going to conquer this city, but it was an extremely unusual strategy. God instructed the Israelites to march around the city once a day for 6 days, then on the 7th day march around the walls 7 times, shout, and the walls would fall down leaving the city vulnerable and thereby allowing the Israelites to capture the city of Jericho.
So you’re probably like, “Where are you going with this story?” Jericho was the gift that God gave the Israelites. God placed their gift within reach but not directly in their hands. God wanted to use this moment to teach them some valuable lessons. One lesson, in particular, is that God wanted to demonstrate that our faith in Him is not in vain. If you trust God, He’s got your back. This is why God guided the Israelites to their gift, but it was up to them to take possession of it.
That same concept applies to us. I’m going through my own Jericho right now. God blessed me with my dream home. However, it’s up to me to straighten out the issues that are preventing me from being able to fully enjoy my gift. The problem I am having with my neighbors is the wall or barrier that I need to overcome. My situation got me thinking, we all have a Jericho to conquer.
My question to you is, “What is your Jericho?” What are you willing to fight for in life?
Thinking about my Jericho, I know that so many of us miss out on our Jericho for one of the following reasons:
1. We see the barrier and give up.
2. We are too impatient to wait on God, so we do not go to God in prayer and ask Him for guidance.
3. Even worse, when God gives us guidance, we try to add human knowledge to it so that it can make sense to us. This is a huge mistake. With many of us, all we see is what we see and we do not see all there is to be seen. Charging into battle without having the whole picture is worse because then we develop false confidence.
In order to be successful in life, we must learn to view life from God’s perspective. We need to see all there is to be seen. This is why God puts our Jericho within our reach, but not in our hands. He wants us to learn the concept of seeing the big picture, not just the little miserable speck Satan wants us to focus on.
With my Jericho situation, if I went by how my circumstance looked, I would be completely overwhelmed. It’s literally me against the entire building. Since I am older and wiser, I know the moment the walls fall down it’s going to be absolutely priceless.
At the moment, I am just walking around my Jericho waiting on God’s signal to shout. Just remember, you’re never going to get that chance unless you’re willing to allow God to show you how to make those walls fall.
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