The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you.
(Numbers 6:25, NKJV)
In an attempt to call a young woman named Brandi, I dialed the wrong number. I talked with a man and woman, sounding advanced in age, apparently using two phones. After introducing myself as Pastor Kerrie, I asked to speak to Brandi.
Man: “We don’t have brandy.”
Me: “Oh . . . actually . . . does Brandi reside at this number?”
Man: “We don’t serve brandy.”
Me, trying not to laugh: “I must have the wrong number. I am trying to reach Brandi.”
Woman: “You can’t reach brandy here because we don’t have brandy.”
Me: “I apologize for taking your time. I obviously have the wrong number.”
Man: “Right, because we don’t have or serve brandy.”
We had different perspectives. The two individuals must have wondered why a pastor would be calling for brandy. They may have some concern for me. On the other hand, I thought the discussion to be quite funny.
Our personal perspective is developed from our personal reality. At times our personal reality disconnects us from the bigger picture. You might say, living with our limited perspective is like being connected to the wrong number. [Yes, I wanted to connect the story with the concept . . . but come on . . . it works.] Christ-followers have the opportunity to enlarge their perspective by seeking true Reality, Christ Jesus.
The Light of Christ brings clarity and understanding. The gospel writer Luke, introduced Christ as light from heaven:
“Because of God's tender mercy,
the light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace." (Luke 1: 78-79, NLT).
In other words, the light of Christ breaks through our limited perspective. Anxiety, stress, and pain are often byproducts of seeing life through our personal perspective. The light of Christ opens our mind to see beyond our personal reality of past and present experiences.
Accordingly, the Hebrew blessing in Numbers 6 becomes a prayer for healthy and whole thinking and ultimately living. When an individual accepts the light of God, the Light literally pierces through the darkness of the mind, heart, and soul.
Connect with the Light of Christ.
Ask for the Light of Christ to pierce through your mind, heart, and soul.
Take time to respond and filter life through the Light of Christ.
Experience more through the Light of Christ.
May you be blessed with the power of the Light of Christ in your mind, heart, and soul:
The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you.
Learning with you to see that my limited perspective is like dialing the wrong number,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2007 All Rights Reserved)
