Lookin thru the peephole

One of the greatest ideas ever thought up was the peephole. Not only does it give you the ability to “screen” your visitors before opening the door but it also gives you the opportunity to screen your surroundings. 

The other day I heard something at my front door so after about the third time I decided to stop what I was doing and look out the peephole. I didn’t see anyone or anything there but because of the way our door is, my scope was pretty limited. I would have loved to be able to see all the way to the street! This same day I looked out my grandparent’s peephole and realized I had a way better view, however there were still many blind spots from my vantage point. 

This made me think about how different people, depending on where they are, have totally different vantage points of situations. Be it experience, geographical location, or insight given from someone else. However no matter how great of an eye we believe we have, we all have a pretty limited scope of the overall picture. For example, have you ever had a friend or family member give you a warning about someone or something because they had a feeling or had the same experience in the past? You 

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may think you know everything about that one thing or person but they have a different vantage point than we do and we can either trust our relatively narrow scope or go with the advice of someone with a little bit more range.

In those moments where we have great insight and view of what is going on it is harder for others and God to direct us! We think, “I don’t need to listen to anyone and their opinions or even the pressing of the Holy Spirit because I can see what is going on”. (We may not say this directly but our actions show it) We totally forget about something important! We don’t have the ability to see the silent motives of others and behind the scenes plotting of the enemy like God can! 

I can speak for myself and say there have been soooo many times I’ve been frustrated with God because I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to do or get what I wanted to get. Even though I believed it would be something awesome for me God knew better. He wasn’t looking through a peephole like all of us do, he looks through a wide-angle lens that encompasses every nook and cranny and every visible and invisible place of the mind, body, and the earth. He knows what will harm us and gives warning to prevent that from happening. Whether we take heed or not is another story. He knows what will grow us and will allow us to go through things to birth the great man or woman of God within us. He knows our ways and allows his grace and mercy to cover even the worst parts of us. 

Psalm 139:1-12 NRSV

1    O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 
2    You know when I sit down and when I rise up; 
you discern my thoughts from far away. 
3    You search out my path and my lying down, 
and are acquainted with all my ways. 
4    Even before a word is on my tongue, 
O Lord, you know it completely. 
5    You hem me in, behind and before, 
and lay your hand upon me. 
6    Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; 
it is so high that I cannot attain it. 

7    Where can I go from your spirit? 
Or where can I flee from your presence? 
8    If I ascend to heaven, you are there; 
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 
9    If I take the wings of the morning 
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 
10 even there your hand shall lead me, 
and your right hand shall hold me fast. 
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, 
and the light around me become night,” 
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; 
the night is as bright as the day, 
for darkness is as light to you. 

He sees all things at all times! The good, the bad, the pain, the joy, the beautiful, and the hideous.

I’ve heard some say it is kind of scary to think God is all knowing and all present. Like who is this creepy being that seems to be spying on me 24/7? But seriously it’s a blessing. For a love to flow so far and deep that he would keep watch over you at all times, not to judge or harm you, but to protect you! It’s a blessing to know that if you call on him he will come, maybe not in our time frame, but at just the right time. Or even when he swoops in and saves us when we don’t call on him. It’s a blessing to know that most of the trouble we get in is because of the choices we made but he will still pull us out right in the nick of time so that we not only learn from the mistake but are able to grow from them. If he couldn’t keep watch at all times then how could he do all of this for us?

Although we have a limited scope God does not. Can you trust him enough to know that he can see your past, present, and future and knows what to do with all three? That no matter what is going on in your life right now, no matter how difficult it may be to bear, he knows what’s necessary for your future and when to pull you out? Can you trust that he will pull you out at just the right time if you just continue to keep pressing? Can you learn to understand that NO you can’t have everything you want right when you want it? Didn’t most of us learn this as kids? And it’s not because the Lord doesn’t have the resources. Maybe he just knows you wouldn’t know what to do with the resources if he gave em.

At times God will give us insight and revelation so that we are able to extend past our normal vantage points; But when it comes down to it, we are human and we are limited in what we are able to see. Accept that and the fact that God knows what he is doing. If he has said wait…you wait. If he has said go…you go. And if he says not right now, take heed and be patient. There is something right where you are that you need to get!

This week I will keep the peephole theme going talking about a few different topics. Will you join me?!

Read this week’s main blog:
Sunday's Main Blog for the week: Lookin thru the peephole 

Read this week's daily devotions:
Monday: A minimum scope 
Tuesday: What? Where is your peephole? How do you know who’s at the door?
Wednesday: You’re not the first to look out this peephole
Thursday: How are you reppin you?
Friday: People see what you let them see
Saturday: Peephole into your own soul

See you tomorrow in the daily devotion section!