“The Family of God: With Minds Set on His Interests”

We live in distressing times. We hear of terrible things that take away our peace. We see frightful things that shake our faith. Our hope weakens as each day passes. We pray, “How long, Lord? How long must the injustice last?” We ask, “Is there no respite, God? Is there no rest from the demanding clamor of sight and sound?” And then a trip to Tagaytay with covenant friends take place. God is good for He knows just when our spirit is flagging, and He gives a day of glorious sunshine, cool breeze, views of revitalizing colors, and heartwarming friendships.

Standing in the open space of Ridge Park, looking over Taal Lake and the world’s smallest volcano in repose, I felt God’s presence. I felt His peace. Then I remembered the opening lines of William Blake’s poem, Auguries of Innocence: “To see a world in a grain of sand / And a heaven in a wild flower, / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / And eternity in an hour.”

Instead of seeing the green grass growing under our feet, we are quick to see the “giants” in the land. Instead of trusting the quiet witness being lived out daily, year in and year out, before our eyes, we are quicker in running to judgment because of the loud clamor we hear. Then we are overwhelmed. Then we are distressed. In all this, God’s invitation to see the world in a better way comes to us daily: “If you return, then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth.” (Jer. 15:19a)

God invites us to wisdom. He invites us to see beyond what we see, to hear beyond what we hear, to go from the small everyday things into the big eternal things . . . the weightier things that, in the end, really matter. By doing so we set our minds and hearts on His interests. This material world that we know is perishing, and what remains is the imperishable.