This was one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's favorite verses. And now that I am an official and fanatic Bonhoeffer groupie, it is one of my favorite verses! Seriously, what a simple, yet profound truth--that is what it means to seek the Lord (see yesterday and Amos 5:4 and 6). We don't know what to do, we don't know how to respond, we don't know the best answer, we sometimes don't even know what to think--but our eyes are upon Thee.
My dear friend, Joan, shared with me a wonderful illustration of what that means--to keep our eyes fixed upon the Savior. (I'm probably remembering this a bit clumsily--since I have the memory of a gnat.) Early one morning, she was sitting out on her deck overlooking the sound and the marsh at the beach. She heard a loud whistle and watched as a man was carefully training his lab. He would throw the little... O rats, what is it called? well, the little throwie thing people throw when they are training a dog (can you tell we have never ever trained Moses?!). Anyway, he was throwing the whatever-you-call-it-thing into the water. The dog would leap into the water and bring it back to his master and then wait excitedly for the next throw. Then the man threw it toward the marsh. This time the dog rushed into the swampy waters and began floundering around. Joan said she watched, worried that the oyster shells would cut the sweet lab's feet as he wandered around looking for the "thing." (this is a disaster).
But suddenly, the dog heard a whistle and, immediately, while still in the middle of the marsh, the lab stopped and looked up at his master. The master pointed in the right direction, showing the lab where to go--and the dog was able to go straight to the spot and retrieve the "thing" (Lord have mercy--just try to go with me here).
Isn't that just like us, though? We jump out--busy, hurried, preoccupied--and then we find ourselves flailing around in the swamp of all our activities and uncertainties and worries. We fight discouragement and doubt and exhaustion, all the while refusing to stop long enough to look to the One who has the answers, the comfort, the encouragement. It's funny, we tend to do a much better job of seeking the Lord on the really huge issues in our lives. It's in all the seemingly "little" or insignificant places that we tend to rush out on our own and suddenly find ourselves adrift and alone. How often have I've made hasty decisions about such "minor" issues as children's activities or purchases or the use of my tongue (ouch)... I could go on and on. It's the little foxes, Song of Solomon says, that spoil the vine.
So, bottom line, might we determine, by the grace of God, to say: "We know not what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee" in every arena of our lives. He always knows the way that is best. Might we learn to take it, one step at a time. To God be the glory.
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