“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy;” Isaiah 60:1-5(a)

“Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

Do you ever have double vision?  I am not asking about blurred vision of your physical eyes, but if you also see out of your spiritual “eyes.”  The thought came to me as I read the devotional from “Our Daily Bread” this Tuesday.  How often will we go through an event, holiday, week, or our whole lives; not realizing the spiritual significance they hold?  The writer watched as people hurried through a busy airport, and asked “Do any of them ever think about God?”  Certainly we could also relate about a busy mall or store.  Here is an easy question, “Can you think of examples during this holiday season where you have seen people exhibit Christian service in the midst of the hustle and bustle?”  Here is the hard one, “Have you exhibited Christian service?”

I certainly admit that it is very hard to find the patience, humility, and kindness to help others in the busyness of our lives.  Deadlines, appointments, places to be, deals to make, a dollar to earn, . . .we are always moving with intention toward our to-do-list.  What about God’s?  We live in a society that Satan has used to continually take our eyes off the “heavenly things” (Phil 4:8) and focus on temporal things of this life.  Remember God also uses the ordinary things of this world to do the extraordinary.  A stranded motorist, a needy family, a lonely individual, all can be opportunities to show the love placed in our hearts.  If you haven’t seen them, ask the Holy Spirit to show you opportunities to serve him and the faith needed to step out.

Reflecting over the past couple of weeks, has God put some divine appointments/ opportunities for service and learning in your paths?  I know God still has a purpose for your life, because you are still with us, so I am equally sure that God gave you opportunities to serve him, did you take them?  If not will you take the opportunities he gives you this week?  Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your spiritual eyes to see God’s divine appointments that He puts in your life.