Morning Devotionals

by Don Emmitte

 

May 2nd, 2008

 

"Window Gazing"

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:21-23 NIV).

I couldn’t resist another picture from the Smoky Mountains for today’s issue of Morning Devotionals. You may note the road going from right to left in the center bottom of the picture. It actually turns back to the spot we took the picture from and gives an incredible vista of the mountains. I must confess that every time I travel through these beautiful creations of God I am drawn to thoughts of moving there permanently! It is what I have called “Window Gazing.”

You know what I’m talking about, I’m sure. It’s that activity when we gaze into a “window” that contains an image of what we wish to possess. My problem though is that this often produces discontent. Of course, there is nothing wrong with setting goals to become better. However, while we strive for different goals and objectives in our lives, we ought to practice the art of contentment. That truth brought me to our reading today. I think that the apostle looking at our world today would say that our grasping for things all too often leads to “exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man.”

Let me pose this question to you: Where are we responsible for our dissatisfaction? That question quickly leads to others that revealed our expectations about life and our disappointment that it hadn't turned out as we'd hoped. Do our hopes and dreams spring from God's promises, or are they based on our own ideas about what we need? Is our hope that God would be glorified, or are we more focused on getting what we want?

I’ve thought about these questions in relationship to each of the areas in which I've experienced disappointment. The answer is simply, No. You see, God never promised our marriages would be effortless. Nor did He tell us having children would come easily. He didn't guarantee financial security or immunity from rejection in relationships or our careers. In short, He never promised us success on our terms. And, worse, when we fall into this trap, we lose hope! So, today, renew your faith in the promises of God to provide for you EVERYTHING you need! Go ahead and gaze into the windows, but trust the path of God for your life, where ever that may take you!