Right In Front Of Your Eyes!

"It's right in front of your eyes," you exclaim to the person you're asking for help to hand you something! For some reason they just can't see it! Frustrating isn't it?

Do you ever ask for help finding something while grocery shopping, only to see the item just before the grocer points it out? Meanwhile it was there, right in front of you while you were asking! I feel so silly when I do that, but just chuckle and say, "Oh my goodness! It's right in front of my eyes!"  

It seems as though some things are only found after we ask for help. I wonder why that is! Hmmm!

The Apostle Paul was a zealous man, eager to assist the religious leaders to irradiate their nation of what they saw as infectious heresy. He had been trained at the feet of the top religious leader of his time and he was steeped in the culture of Judaism. He was vehemently set on ridding Israel of all who left Judaism to follow Jesus, who had so radically changed the hearts and thoughts of his followers. So vehement was Paul, that he was granted permission to search  from house to house, and town to town to drag to prison all who followed Christ. Paul, whose name was actually Saul at the time was 100% convinced that he saw the whole scenario clearly, until one day, in one moment of time his direction was changed completely! Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus. He appeared in a bright light, as bright as the noon day sun. But do you think the brightness of the light caused Saul to "see the light"? No, it took more than that. Saul also had to ask for direction. When Jesus asked Saul, " Why do you persecute me?" Saul had to request who was speaking to him and what it was that Jesus required of him. And when Jesus told him where to go, what to do and to wait, he simply obeyed. He waited for three days, not eating or drinking anything. As focused as he was in his cruelty, so he became as he waited. He must have been doing an awful lot of soul searching! He knew that he was being confronted face to face with the one who he has been fighting against. Oh, the questions that must have gone through his head! "I need to understand! What is going on? "How could I have been wrong? How could I not have seen this before? Who really is this Jesus and what does he want with me?"

Well, Jesus did answer all of Paul's questions and he called him to become not only a disciple, but an apostle; to help open other blind eyes to see the light of the gospel of Christ and to be changed from a life of sin to righteousness. The Lord sent a disciple named Ananias to  pray for Paul and when he did, something like scales fell from his eyes. It was as though he could see for the first time, although the truth of Jesus Christ was always there, right in front of his eyes!

How about you? Have you been searching for something you need, only to find you're at a dead end? Do you realize yet that it's time to cry, "Lord, help me to see what you want me to see!" When you ask, you will discover that what (or who) you needed is right in front of you, although you never realized it! Let go of your pride, and take some time to allow the Lord to search your heart and mind, and to reveal His ways to you. Jesus will be there for you when you stop fighting Him and start asking for His help. It's HIM you've needed all along!

Psalm 139: 23 & 24
"Search me oh God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts. See if there be a wicked way in me, and let me in the way everlasting."