It has been said that there is “a window to the soul” and through this window every person can see the wonder of God and sense the presence of God! Think about that, somewhere in the deepest place in all of us - this area helps us experience God!
Psalm 139: 13,14 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex.”
Once upon a time, that window was crystal clear, no blurriness, no cracks, absolutely no distortion! You could see God bless your life so clearly, you could see God moving in such a way - it was mazing!
But then, one day, a rock hit that window and created all the cracks that now distorts your view of life and diminishes your trust in God!
Just to think about the rocks that have broken the window to your soul, is enough to make you even tremble in your mind and soul!
What was the rock that brought pain, turmoil, trauma, disappointment and distance between you and God? Was it the rock of relationship, the rock of ambition to really excel in life and that rock busted it all up. The rock of change...The rock of disease, the rock of distress, the rock of death or the rock of addiction!
For me it was a mother dying at 40 years old, for me it was a divorce that shattered the window to my soul! Maybe you get mad at God because you hate that rock now, you are so angry at God because “God, how could you let this rock hit me and my family!” and let me guess - that’s the last words spoken to God!
Some how we get into our little heads what the job description for God should be - and that rock was supposed to never hit our lives! You and I have all said at some time, “If God is God, then...
We have a country that has a cracked window to its soul and it has impacted a relationship with God that used to be so important! The way people see Christianity today is very much a part of the millions of rocks that have shattered millions of windows that are connected to millions of souls!
LifePoint: When the window to the soul is reshaped because of cracks, then life is resented and ultimately God is redefined.
This is a reality even for persons of the Bible, The oldest book in the Bible is not Genesis, but Job and Job’s window to his soul was smashed in horrible ways! For a portion of his life - Job struggled to see God because of the deepest cracks in his soul’s broken window.
Job 10:1 “I am disgusted with my life...
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.” NLT
Job 9:25 “My life passes more swiftly, than a runner.
It flees away, filled with tragedy.”
One day he’s on top of the world, one day he’s on the top of Forbes’s list of wealthiest people, one day he was on the top of his family’s admiration, one day he was on the top of his community. And then one day everything came crashing down around him. His children died, his wife turned her back on him, his health was gone, his riches flew away overnight, his friends were now his worst enemies - “After all Job,
you have a secret sin!”
Now with that picture in mind...
Jesus is mentoring his disciples, they were growing in wisdom and walking with Jesus as He was healing people, delivering people and His popularity was overwhelming to everyone!
You know the story, one day he feeds over 5000 with just a little fish and bread! WOW! What a day! But because of that one event the parallel passage in Mark tells us that after this event, the disciple’s hearts were hardened. WHY?
I personally think that the disciples thought - we have such a following of men, we have real power growing everyday, that we can now overthrow Herod, and all is military! After all Jesus, you can feed everyone, you can keep us healed, you can divinely protect us from the Roman swords and arrows - Jesus this is our moment!
But instead of mounting up for war, Jesus told them to start rowing! It’s right after this in Matthew 14 that Jesus sends them out on the Sea of Galilee and he goes up for a prayer summit by himself, leaving the disciples out on the water with the mother of all storms coming!
Matthew 14:22-24
Have you ever rowed about for just half an hour? These men were rowing for at least 9 hours! Do you think they were happy campers? Nothing was going their way! Then on top of that they encounter an X-file!
Now watch - a rock of disappointment and a rock of distress and a rock of loneliness broke the window to their souls and it all changed the way they saw Jesus! “It is a ghost!”
“Where is God” - that’s what they were thinking in the middle of that storm! Ever said that? If you’re human you have! Don’t give me that Joe holy stuff!
Now, let me give you a little secret to these 2 stories. First, with Job, you have to go 40 chapters and finally God speaks. Job40:6 “Then the Lord answered Job in the middle of the storm...” AMP
The disciples went 9 hours before Jesus speaks! Matthew 14:27 “Be of good cheer! It is I, do not be afraid!”
Folks, have you ever noticed that sometimes God let’s our lives go, not from bad to good, but from bad to impossible! Lazarus was sick and Mary told Jesus and if that wasn’t bad enough, Jesus says, “This sickness is for the glory of God!” Then Jesus decides to stay 2 more days in Judea! What’s happening here!
Folks, I’m convinced that half of the tough stuff that God takes us through during life’s journey is for one thing - strengthened faith!
What To Do When The Rocks Fly:
1. Re-evaluate Life’s Journey.
Job 37: 1, 13 “My heart pounds as I think of this, it leaps within me! He causes things to happen on earth either as a punishment or as a sign of His unfailing love.” NLT
Michael Swiger was a man who’s window to his soul was deeply cracked as a young boy, because of a terrible family problems that effected the way he saw God. On the outside he was fooling everyone with the deep chaos on the inside of him. Over a period of years he got very angry at God and came to the point where he hated anything or anyone connected to God. Michael came to a point in his life where he was forced to re-evaluate his life... Video...
2. Obedience Leads To Breakthrough.
Job 42: 12 “The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. NLT
Job lived another 140 years in the reality of his breakthrough!
The disciples were hurting because of the death of Jesus and all the confusion in their mind over the resurrection! After Jesus ascends to heaven...
The Upper Room and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! If they had not obeyed Jesus words - just think of what they would have missed!
When the window of our souls has been hit - I wonder what blessings and breakthroughs we have missed - because we’ll not obey God!
3. Contemplate The Power of God.
Job 37:23,24 “We cannot imagine the power of Almighty God, yet He is so just and so merciful that He does not oppress us. People who are truly wise show Him reverence.” NLT
Job 40:3,4 “I will put my hand over my mouth in silence...I have nothing more to say.” NLT
Folks, only after we let God use the broken pieces of the window of our soul, will we trust the power of God to put the pieces of the broken window back just right!
The USS New York, it’s a new powerful class of warship just being delivered to the Navy. It is designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered on shore by helicopters and assault craft.
But talk about taking broken pieces - because a portion of the USS New York was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.
Only God can take a mangled marriage, a broken body, a suffering soul and a floundering family and make something new!
4. Kindle A New Faith And Joy.
Job 42:5,6 “I had heard of you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” NLT
The Book of Job is not a book of recorded of sufferings, but a book of great faith! If you’re struggling with the broken window to your soul - kindle new faith!
So many people have no joy because they try to muster it up by way of a secular mind set instead of a biblical mind set! And they wonder why they’re still miserable! To think for one moment that you can love God and then live your life anyway you want - is a despicable lie! When it comes to choices - so many times we go by our senses instead of sensing the Holy Spirit’s presence!!
John 15:11, 14 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
Are you fighting in your marriage, beating your children, cussing up a storm and when you come to church and you wonder why there’s no joy in your heart? Your choices have miserably failed you - not God!
Listen, the fruit of your life is on display for all to see and joy better be visible even when God is taking your life from bad to impossible!!
If the window to your soul has been cracked by the rocks of life, what you do after the hit, is your choice! But I promise you, if you apply these 4 keys to your life, God will show you things beyond your comprehension and do things beyond your imagination!
I think I just heard Job from heaven say, “AMEN!”! I knew he was a Baptist!
