“…among the seven lampstands was someone ‘like a son of
man,’ … his eyes were like blazing fire” (Revelation 1:13-14).
Every picture I’ve seen of Jesus shows his eyes of
compassion. Eyes of fire…sounds more like anger to me. However, there are
other areas of the Bible where God talks of His fiery nature. In Deuteronomy
4:23-24, God admonishes his children, “Be careful not to forget the covenant of
the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in
the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is
a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
In a cheesy comparison, think of a soap opera or a romantic
comedy where the love interest is found in the arms of another. The one who
yearns for his or her love burns with jealousy. In the same way, God is passionate about His
people! He is jealous for their love and does not want them to give away their
love to useless counterfeits. In our present day we scoff at the Israelites who
made statues of gold to worship. How could they mistake the Living God for a
cheap replica? Yet, are we any different here in the consumer-driven economies
we find ourselves in? Entertainment, possessions, and money quickly become our
gods. We believe we created our success by our own hard work and divert our
gazes from the Lord who has so richly blessed us.
I believe God is calling out to His people with a cry of
“Come back to me! I love you and I will fulfill your every need. I am jealous
for you and your love! Live holy lives, set apart from the cravings of a
depraved world.” We are to set our eyes on the way of the Lord. Just as a
speaker before a large audience seeks eye contact to know whether his message
is being received, our own eyes betray our allegiances. God is clear about what
He is looking at—US! What are your eyes set upon? Will your sights lead you
through this life to your benefit or betray the very cries of your heart?
