Have you ever stumbled upon a beautiful place of soul-satisfyingly beautiful peace? These special times of discovery are when the Lord shares things with you that no one else sees. Only He sees these things in this way and He is opening the door for perhaps only a brief time to share it with you.
I have had many such times especially when I am out in the beauty of God's creation with my camera. I am intent on capturing images that show off God's glory. Sometimes, just now and then, I feel as though God is giving me a glimpse of beauty only He sees most of the time. And yet, I do believe that if we will slow down and draw near to God, He will open our eyes to see the truth and beauty of who He is, what He does, and what He says.
The psalmist prayed —
Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.
Psalm 119:18
I thank the Lord for giving us this prayer because He answers every time we open His Word and live in all that He says. I truly believe that because the Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), there is new life-changing truth to behold and we see things no one sees as God opens our eyes.
And then, there are beautiful scenes in God's creation that are so special that it feels as though God is showing us things He sees all the time, yet they remain mostly unseen by us.
I happened on just such a scene quite by "accident (i.e. divine appointment)." I took a turn down a road I had never driven on in Newport Beach CA and discovered a wildlife preserve at Upper Newport Bay. I had my Nikon D810 camera, Nikkor 80-400mm lens, and Gitzo tripod, so I stopped to see if I would catch a glimpse of God's glorious handiwork. What I saw took my breath away. So many varieties of birds just doing their normal everyday work of looking for food. But I felt like God was letting me in on what He sees all the time. And yet these are things that no one else sees most of the time because we don't stop just to watch it all in action. There were herons, willets and dozens of other amazing birds just pecking around in the water, flying to and fro, swimming, dancing on the water, playing, looking around, and searching for food. I tried to capture it all, but only succeeded in getting pieces of it. You almost have to be there to get the full impact of these things that no one sees.
The power of these things that no one sees is a renewal of soul. This pure untouched beauty from God serves to feed your heart and give you strength to go on.
We all need to experience these things no one sees. And what will it take? Slowing down and making time for God in your life. Opening your Bible and drawing near to Him. Walking alone with your Lord in a beautiful place.
Be intentional. As God says, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).
So dear friend, today take His words to heart, and be still and know that He is God. Your heart and soul will thank you for your resolve, intention, and purpose to know and love your Lord.
"Dear Lord, thank You for showing us the things that no one sees. Open our eyes, that we may behold wonderful things in Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Blessings ♡ Grace
