FAITH...THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN

The bifocals of faith given us by God allow us to “see” much more than is visible to our eyes. As dwellers of His kingdom, we are privileged with the supernatural sight of Holy Spirit that keeps us in His will.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES        by Sally Bair

The bifocals of faith

The list of animals with poor eyesight includes the sea star, the platypus, and the tiny mole. Many nocturnal animals, cave dwellers, and deep sea critters also can’t see well. Some are myopic (near-sighted) and others far-sighted.

Being myopic since the age of 12, I can empathize with the hard-of-seeing critters. The first day I wore glasses, I rediscovered the brilliance of green leaves and the vibrancy of flowers. With age, I “graduated” to wearing bifocals, thanks to Benjamin Franklin who invented them. Bifocals help me see up-close and far away. And speaking of critters, the diving beetle has bifocals! Scientists discovered the beetles have two distinct focal planes substantially separated so they can switch their vision from up-close to distant while hunting mosquito larvae for food.

We all like to be able to see things far and near. Like the diving beetle, we benefit when we see things clearly—both good and bad things. As long as we live, we will be viewing good things and not-so-good in the realms of weather, relationships, health, and behavior. Our physical eyes can be helped greatly by a pair of bifocals. And when we wear the bifocals of faith, God will help us see beyond the fuzziness of our not-so-good situations into His clear, good purposes for us.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

The famous Senate Chaplain, Peter Marshall, spoke about the bifocals of faith when he offered this poignant prayer before the U.S. Senate in 1947:

God of our fathers and our God, give us the faith to believe in the ultimate triumph of righteousness, no matter how dark and uncertain are the skies of today. We pray for the bifocals of faith—that see the despair and the need of the hour but also see, further on, the patience of our God working out His plan in the world He has made. So help Thy servants to interpret for our time the meaning of the motto inscribed on our coins. Make our faith honest by helping us this day to do one thing because Thou hast said, “Do it,” or to abstain because Thou hast said, “Thou shalt not.” How can we say we believe in Thee, or even want to believe in Thee, when we do not anything Thou dost tell us? May our faith be seen in our works. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.