January 19

“Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”       (John 4:35 NIV)

I often talk about my driving teacher. Even if it is several years since I attended the driving school, I clearly remember some of the things he said. I do not remember what he looked like, but I remember his words. One of the things he said was that; ‘you must never fix your eyes in only one position while you are driving. You have to change between looking at what is right in front of the car and what is far ahead.’ I remember that I sometimes had to struggle with this as I was learning. My eyes became fixated, and the strange thing was that when this happened the car started to wobble.

In our Christian lives it is also important that we change perspectives. It is important to be able to see what is close to us, but if we want to keep a steady course we must also lift our eyes to see the broader perspectives. The disciples were focused on how things used to be. Their thoughts followed the same old rut. But Jesus encouraged them to lift their eyes and discover new possibilities.

Prayer
Lord, help me not to concentrate on well-known and narrow things to the extent that I lose the overall view. Help me to lift my eyes and be inspired by what then I may see.