“Do you remember the story of the Mount of Transfiguration?” Stan asked me one morning.
“A little bit,” I replied. “Why do you ask?”
“I was looking at that account in Mark’s gospel,” Stan said, “and I saw a clear application for my faith walk.”
“In what way?
“Jesus went up on a mountain and He took Peter, James, and John with Him. There they ran into Moses and Elijah.”
“What mountain?” I asked.
“I think it was Mount Tabor,” Stan replied, “but that’s not really important.”
“What is?”
“Quick recap,” Stan said. “While on the mountain, Jesus was changed right before their eyes. He was transfigured. Moses and Elijah talked with Him, the disciples were terrified, and then God the Father spoke from a cloud.”
“What’d He say?”
“He said that Jesus was His beloved Son and that they should listen to Him.”
“Listen to Him,” I replied. “Is that that part that’s important for your faith walk?”
“Well, Stan said, “that’s certainly important, but I was thinking more about what happened next.”
“What?”
“It’s in verse eight of chapter nine,” Stan replied. “It says that all at once the disciples looked around and saw no one with them except Jesus.”
“So?”
“Seems to me,” Stan replied, “that’s how it’s supposed to be for me, as well as for the rest of us. We are to see only Jesus. Too often I spend time looking at other things and other people, but I think that God the Father really wants me to only look at His beloved Son. To only look at Him, as well as to only look to Him.”
“Look at and to Jesus,” I repeated. “As contrasted to looking at what?”
“Me,” Stan replied, “along with the world, the flesh, and the devil. Everything that is contrary to where God wants me to look!”
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Bible verses to consider:
And all at once they looked around and saw no one with them any more, except Jesus alone. Mark 9:9.
And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus Himself alone. Matthew 17:8.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving your beloved Son so all who believe can have life eternally with you when it’s time. Thank you, too, for those you brought into my life to bring me to that truth so I could accept it. I confess that too often Jesus is not the only One I see and is not who I look to as the center of my life. Rather, I look to myself and to others, along with looking to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Please forgive that foolishness. And please, Father, help me in following every step of your lead so I look only to you and to your Son for every aspect of my life. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of your beloved Son. Amen.
Think on this: Have you seen Jesus in the sense that you have accepted His finished work on the cross and you know you will spend eternity in God’s presence when it’s time? If no, why? What’s in the way? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with seeing Jesus and looking only to Him while you remain on this side of eternity? If you sense the need for change in who and what you are looking at, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 