LifeLink Devotions

Monday, May 15, 2023

After college I took a special interest in photography. Obviously, I wasn’t very good at it or I would still do it. I bought a wonderful thirty-five-millimeter camera with several lenses, and took to the prairies of North Dakota to take pictures. I love ducks and geese, and they were the subject of most of my photographs, although I did get some pretty good shots of a certain chick.

I soon learned that certain lighting conditions required certain settings on the camera, and that the final picture quality could be improved by using lens covers that altered the light. I had a variety of colored lenses that changed the image on the film and brought out certain features, colors, or qualities that I wanted enhanced. The goal was to make the photo look as much like what God created as possible.

Just like a camera, we also wear lenses on our eyes. We put on the ones we think will make the picture of our life look better. We have telephoto lenses we use to look closely at the lives of others. We have wide angle lenses to help us see as much of life as possible. We put on colored lens covers to alter the real picture – lenses of denial, selfishness, and judgmentalism – in hopes that we will like the new look.

Many times, no matter what lens we put on the camera, the picture doesn’t improve.  We look for the lens of hope but we seem to have misplaced it. That’s when we finally cry out to God to change the picture.

The issue is that we haven’t tried the only lens we ever need – the lens of God’s Word. Every picture of life, when seen through the lens of God’s promises and commands, turns out exactly the way God created it to look.

Just look at the words of the Psalmist today.

Psalm 119:169-172  “Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word!Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word.My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. ¹⁷² My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right.”

His cries for understanding are changed into praise as he begins to see the picture of his life through the lens of God’s word. His pleas for deliverance and a change of scenery are transformed into singing about the Word of God because through that lens everything looks right. Everything changes when seen through the right lens.

God wants us to see the picture of our life from His perspective, as He created it to look. The only way to do that is to see it through the lens of His Holy Word the Bible. Every detail of our lives, every event, every interruption, every hardship, every blessing, is His design to create a masterpiece of faith. We will only start to see its true beauty when we see it through His lens. Let’s stop trying to alter the photo to fit our preferences. Let’s enjoy the beauty of what God is creating in us – the life of Jesus Christ.

Pastor John