Message summary:  There's so much we don't see and there's so much we don't understand; some things make no sense to us at all. Indeed our sight may be like a tunnel; narrow, dark, long, and filled with hazards as we navigate our way through life. Yet with the help of the Holy Spirit we can still declare "But I see!"

Listen to our message on your audio player.

"For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).

I (Stephen) had an appointment with an optometrist (eye doctor) earlier this week with a new doctor. She looked like she was about 16 in my aging eyes! I received a good report though she could see some small cataracts. I used to think old people got cataracts but apparently that's not the case! My prescription has slightly changed but that can be corrected. Another prompting to thank God for sight!

A predicable part of the exam is when the doctor determines your needed prescription. You look into a contraption that hasn't changed much since my first exam some 60 years ago. At first it's horribly blurry, perhaps similar to being blind. Then it gets a bit clearer perhaps like the man in the Bible who said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around” (Mark 8:24).* Then they dial it in and it becomes clearer and clearer so the patient can make a choice as to what setting is the clearest and that will then be prescribed by the doctor.

In the spiritual realm it seems that in a number of situations, though we can see, it's like seeing people who look like trees walking around! We just don't always see very clearly.

Today let us consider a phrase on seeing from the Love Chapter (1 Corinthians 13). "For now we see through a glass darkly". Paul is not referring to physical sight here but rather spiritual sight. Each of us has matters in life that could be described as seeing through a glass darkly.

In these gloomy experiences we can choose to despair or place our faith in God, readily admitting that we only see through a glass darkly. That's why we walk by faith and not by sight. Our faith is founded solidly upon the unchanging, ever dependable Word of God that is our life's road map.

Using an illustration more contemporary we rely on our GPS, when the road ahead is dark and foggy. Regardless of our blurry view of what lies ahead we should always be able to see and view the Word of God as our reliable and unfailing GPS!

"But then face to face". No more blur or distant view!

"Now I know in part". That's so true. We know only a part, actually a very very small part. But we know! We are blessed and many of us have memorized portions of Scripture with the phrase, "I know" or "we know" such as Romans 8:28 or 2 Timothy 1:12.

This "in part" especially describes the state of our present knowledge of divine things, which is imperfect and incomplete. But the time will come when our vision will be unimpaired, the veil will be lifted and the obscure made crystal clear. "But then shall I know even as also I am known".

C.H. Spurgeon makes an interesting assertion that we couldn't handle any greater knowledge on this side of eternity.

There's so much we don't see and there's so much we don't understand; some things make no sense to us at all. Indeed our sight may be like a tunnel: narrow, dark, long, and filled with hazards as we navigate our way through life. Yet with the help of the Holy Spirit we can still declare "But I see!"

Be encouraged today!  Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber