|
“Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in…To whom then will you compare Me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these?” (Isaiah 40:21–22; 25–26, ESV).
How do you feel when the waiting is over? Are you anxious? Thrilled? Relieved? Perhaps all of the above. We all know what it is like to wait for a big moment, and certainly this past week there was no shortage of fanfare for the waiting, the anticipation, and the eager expectation for a single moment. Thousands, if not millions, of people reordered their day and their lives in anticipation of a moment. A brief moment. A moment to don cheap, hopefully sufficiently-tested glasses, and turn their eyes to the sky for the eclipse — and three minutes later it was over.
As we sit one week later, reflecting on the anticipation and excitement surrounding events like the eclipse, we're reminded of the fleeting nature of earthly experiences. The build-up, the waiting, the moment itself — all of it can be exhilarating, but it's over in the blink of an eye.
Imagine for a second what it would be like if we took a fraction of that fervor, a fraction of that anticipation, a fraction of that effort, and turned our eyes to what God is doing in our lives. If we turned our eyes on high and looked for what God was doing in our midst.
It is easy for us to drum up excitement and expectation for the novel and the new, but when it comes to our new lives in Christ, how easily do we forget that He is creating in us that newness of life every single day?
In Isaiah 40, we are encouraged to lift our eyes beyond the temporal and fix them on the eternal, on the work of God in our lives. Just as people eagerly awaited the eclipse, we should eagerly anticipate and seek out the ongoing work of God within us and around us.
It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of worldly events, but how much more fulfilling is it to focus our attention on the transformative power of God's presence in our lives? Every day, God is at work, shaping us, molding us, and creating in us the newness of life.
This Easter season, let us not forget the wonder and excitement of that resurrection moment. Don’t lose the enjoyment, the excitement, and the wonder of what new life brings to those in Christ. So on this Mindful Monday, take a moment to turn your eyes on high, not for a celestial wonder but for the divine wonder of the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life.
| 
