looking beyond the physical by Barnard and Eboni p. Jones

Looking past the natural! Are we half human and half Spirit? Human reasoning, logic, and just having a natural view of life, often leads to many unhealthy choices. There's one view through our human eyes and the other is through our eyes of faith or Spirit. Sometimes, the weather seems to contradict itself. The tulips and other plants will shoot through the soil and then the next week snow can fall 2-5 inches or more! One remembers what month we're in on the calendar and tries to look past the natural weather event. I'm suggesting two areas of importance, which require frequent check-ups: faith and relationship. Faith I believe we need to look past the natural every day. We need faith in order to keep on looking for what we can't see. Hebrews 11:6 KJV states, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him." Looking past the natural not only benefits us, but it also pleases God. We need faith in Jesus’ plans for our life. We pray to be saved and ask Jesus to be our Lord, but then it's like we soon forget He really has us on His mind. Jeremiah 29:11 KJV says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to bring you to an expected end." I can perceive God's creative splendor in flowers, looking over Lake Michigan, or a blade of grass. I know that He is real. God had intricate designs not only for this world He created but for me also. I can look past my bills, problems, and worries and give them all to Jesus and He will work it out. We are pleasing God by choosing to look through the eyes of faith. Relationship It is vital to see past the natural circumstances and embrace our experience or relationship with the Lord. The woman with the issue of blood touched a part of Jesus' garment and was made whole immediately! The woman kept saying over and over to herself, “just one touch is what I need”. Peter got out of a boat and walked on water towards Jesus. He was able to look past the natural! Moses was able to lead the Israelites. He looked past the natural! Joshua and Caleb saw Giants in the land. They looked past the natural! When we set out to seek a strong relationship with God, we too will see past the natural. The natural can limit us but God is unlimited. God is asking you to stop and look past the natural! There aren't any coincidences or accidents, only our failure to see God's purpose. Keeping one's faith and relationship with God helps one to see the Lord's purpose in life. Some people can't see God's greatness and others get envious of us that can. Circumstances and bills may cause one to feel defeated but God already knew we would have days like this. Sometimes we can forget that God is there and we are on His mind, but we have to remind ourselves to get a view past the natural. If we have great faith in God's plan for our life, we can be encouraged to know that this too will pass. John 16:33 NKJV states, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Barnard

“Don't judge a book by its cover.” Something we have all heard one time or another. We use that phrase as a way of trying to encourage other people not to judge a person strictly by their outer appearance. Whether we want to admit it or not, the way we look on the outside is a key factor in what draws people to us. What if it was reversed and our inner characteristics were shown on the outside. Like our heart characteristics, likes, dislikes, things that make us happy, sad, our struggles, etc. When we are trying to get to know a person to build a friendship or relationship, working with others, or even just in passing, what if our inner characteristics were shown first and not the physical? I think a lot of things would be different, from the way we treat each other to the way we love each other. Genesis 29:17-18 ESV says, "Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance." This love story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah is the true definition of looking beyond the physical. Jacob was infatuated with Rachel because she was appealing to the eye and he disliked Leah because she wasn't. Remember what I said in the beginning, we are not to judge a book by its cover, and that's exactly what Jacob did. He was not giving her a fair shot. Take a moment and think about how many people we have judged based on their outer appearance, but when we get to know them, they were nothing like we had in mind. That takes me back to when Bernard and I started to get serious in our relationship and he took me to Mississippi to meet his mom. She wasn't enthused to see her son walking in with someone that had a cane. She boldly asked Bernard, "How is she going to take care of you?" All she saw was my physical appearance and it took her a while to see beyond my limitations, but once she did, she apologized and said, "I have absolutely nothing to worry about". The moment we are truly able to look beyond what our eyes can see, we will be able to enjoy encounters with people so much more because we have nothing blocking us from seeing someone for who they truly are. Living in this world, we have to look beyond what we see. The Bible tells us “to walk by faith and not by sight”. Hello! That is looking beyond the physical and that applies to more than just people it applies to situations as well, you have to be able to look beyond what you see. Love, Eboni P. Feel free to share blesssings