Nurtured in Father’s Loving Gaze
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:17-19, NIV, emphasis added)
Through the “eyes” of our heart we can experience God-sight. This “spiritual sight” is illumined by faith, and allows us to “know” that we are (a present reality) seated with Jesus in Father’s lap of love. There, we are also invited with Jesus into the opportunity of continuous enjoyment of Father’s affirming gaze~~looking full into His wonderful face~~with an unhindered view.
Tragically, we are too often distracted and focused everywhere but there. Why would we allow our spiritual sight to be lowered and miss His passionate gaze? Can you dare to believe that His eyes will never contain a hint of rejection, disdain, disgust or dis-approval? The “perfect love” that explodes through His eyes will drive out all doubt and fear.
Being able to see yourself in the resplendent light of Father’s loving eyes is truly a mystery. You can’t define, program, explain, understand, or manipulate God-sight. Our only option is to continually receive by faith; through the “spiritual eyes” of a regenerated heart, His awesome, loving, embracing, constant gaze.
“To as many as received Him, to them gave he the power to become the children of God, even to those who believed on his name.” John 1:12 KJV
“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure.
But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.” “This is how much God loved the world: (desiring for any and all who ‘will’ to see that love in His eyes) He gave his Son, his one and only Son.
And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” John 3: 19-21 and 16-17, (The Message, emphasis and parenthesis added)
Many choose to live in the delusion of enlightenment apart from God-sight. He is not seen in the pursuit of knowledge. You will not be able to peer into his awesome eyes by the mastery of the intellect. Father’s vision defies all of our intellectual boxes.
You must have the “eyes” of your heart enlightened. This comes only through a Spirit of revelation: “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge (meaning personal intimate knowing) of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart be
enlightened…” Ephesians 1: 17-18a, NASB, parenthesis added.
We live in a most unique time in history. The ability to know about God has never been more accessible. There is a plethora of printed, audio, video, and digital-cyberspace programs being produced. State of the art curricula materials about God abound and are more available than ever before.
Tragically and truthfully, our increased access to knowledge about God, does not add up to a more intimate relationship with Him. The Heavenly Father; the one Jesus came to reveal and share, is only known by faith. We can see the salvation in His eyes, through the eyes of our heart.
“But God himself took charge of his people, took Jacob on as his personal concern. He found him (all those whose heart eyes are fixed on his redemptive gaze) out in the wilderness; in an empty, windswept wasteland (that clearly defines where he found me).
He threw his arms around Jacob, lavished attention on him, guarding him as the apple of his eye. He was like an eagle hovering over its nest, overshadowing its young, and then spreading its wings, lifting them into the air, teaching them to fly.” (Deuteronomy 32: 9-11, The Message, emphasis and parenthesis added)
What a picture of his watchful care and oversight! The eyes of an eagle watching over you and me until our eyes perceive that we are the “apple of his eye”. Once there, we will soar into the heights of “whom” and “whose” we are in Christ!
In the grip of Papa’s loving, watchful gaze! Ron Ross
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