Image credit: vencavolrab78 / 123RF Stock Photo

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus (John 1:35-37).

Behold: To perceive through sight or apprehension. To see, observe, appreciate (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).  When I write about a particular word here, I often include the definition.  So this time is no different.  But, I think the antonym is more telling today.  The opposite of to behold something is to miss something, to NOT see, NOT observe or NOT appreciate.

I have made some wonderful new friends since moving to Arizona.  Today I want to share with you about Nancy, Tracy and Cati.  These women were the leaders of our homeschool community this past year.  All year long they have made a concerted effort to remind the group of us, kids and moms, to behold the Lord.  We see Him in the Word, of course.  But we also behold Him in the crystalline structure of a quartz, the amazing form of a sunflower, the perfection in math and in the logical language of music.  And on and on and on.  The harmony in nature reflects His nature.  Nancy often reminds us of this scripture: God is not a God of disorder but of peace (1 Cor 14:33).

Me and my kids had already been in the practice of beholding the LORD because as soon as we started reading the Word together in earnest, we saw Him everywhere.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world…(Psalm 19:1-4a)

When you behold the LORD, you cannot help but follow Him.  This is the same response we saw in John’s followers upon meeting Jesus:  they followed Jesus (John 1:37).  This reveals the obvious.  When we don’t observe and appreciate the Lord, we miss Him.   How many days have I gone along, with the blinders of this world obscuring my view?

• How often have I forgotten my purpose, which is to glorify Him and bring to honor Him? And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Col 3:17, NLT).
• How often have I lost sight of the eternal perspective?  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). 
• How often have I been consumed with my own importance? When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Ps 8:3-4).
• How often have I oozed ingratitude for the One who has redeemed me with His life? But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

The antidote to our weariness with life is to observe Him – to see Him and His Hand in everything.  To appreciate Him is to see His wisdom, perfection and goodness.  When we behold Him, we can’t help but follow Him!

Where are you beholding (seeing or observing ) Him today?  What astonishes you and gives you hope?

Hugs,

Britta ~ I am justAgirl…just like you!