Through His Eyes - What She Said Part 14 - Week 3 Day 5

TODAY'S TREASURE

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; For He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:13-14

Transcript

Through His Eyes

Annalisa Smith, Guest Writer

Today’s Treasure

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; For He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:13-14

A few weeks after my daughter was born, I had settled into that my-sleep-is-entirely-composed-of-two-hour-naps exhaustion that new moms know only too well. My kind husband would try to assure me as I ended some days in a pool of worn-out tears that he thought I was such a kind and loving mother. He would recount interactions I barely could recall with my bleary mind. I told him, “I feel like I can’t see myself at all right now.” 

My husband did his best in the sleep-deprived months that followed to remind me of what he saw. While I felt like I was stumbling around blindly, feeling the strangeness and soreness of a post-partum body and a vastly different schedule and list of daily accomplishments, my husband was seeing more clearly. I remember one day, I was holding my daughter up to our bathroom mirror to entertain her. I felt so weary and drained and at my wit’s end with some of the feeding struggles we were having. But I caught sight of my own face smiling at her and doing funny things to soothe her. We were so sweet! And I was a bit stunned. Was that what I actually looked like right now from the outside? I began to wonder—how does God see me in these weary days? And the answer that comes back again and again from Scripture is that He sees me as a dearly loved daughter. 

I know all about my daughter. I can list her favorite foods, describe the funny noises she makes, and tell you all about her endearing qualities. I can also tell you all about the things we’ve struggled with together. I know her better than she knows herself. In my best moments, I see my daughter through the eyes of love. I know everything about her. She can utterly exhaust me or frustrate me, and yet I still think she is the most adorable and wonderful creature ever made. Because I love her. Because she’s mine. Now take this lesser to greater.

God knows all about you. He sees you in your best or worst moments. He sees your unique giftings, the things that are challenging for you, and the things He’s working on with you. He sees your sin and mess. And He sees you through the eyes of love. And dare we believe what He says . . . He DELIGHTS in us?! 

1 John 3:1 enthusiastically invites us to see the truth: 

"God loves us with a great and lavish love. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

Zephaniah 3:17 gives a vivid picture of the Lord’s delight:

"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing."

If any of you have a heart like mine that is always telling you that you need to be better, do more, and have it “together” (whatever that means!), it’s helpful to be reminded that God’s love is a compassionate love. He remembers how fragile and small we are—even when we forget. 

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; For He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:13-14

We need help from the Lord and sometimes from others to see ourselves the way He sees us. I hope this week God will keep reminding us that He sees us—all our best and worst moments and everything in between—and He loves us SO dearly.

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

How do you tend to “see” yourself these days? Does your own assessment tend more toward self-compassion or more toward self-criticism? In the same way, you might notice small changes in your vision and consider a trip to the eye doctor, so take a moment to think about how your “vision” is currently perceiving yourself and the world. What do you imagine it might look like to align your heart with God’s way of seeing you? 

PRAYER

Dear Father, what do You see when You look at me? What does Your face look like? Please tenderly adjust my ability to see myself and see You so it comes closer and closer to Your perfect vision.