“Turn The Telescope Around”

As I kid, I would sometimes fool around with my toy telescope. Normally you look thru the small end and the image gets larger. If you turned it around and looked thru the large end, the image got smaller. I’ve heard a “telescope analogy” used in reference to God and our problems. If you look thru the large end (God), the problems look smaller. On the other hand if you look at God thru your problems, God looks small. I hope that’s not confusing. 

I find this is true in regards to prayer. If I pray and focus on who God is… how great he is, how loving and kind and magnificent and powerful, then I can see my problems in the right perspective …. they seem small in the light of God’s greatness. On the other hand, if I begin focusing on my problems and then begin looking at God, the problems seem insurmountable and God seems either impotent and small or even disinterested. 

So, I need to make sure I’m thinking correctly. Oswald Chambers, a Scottish evangelist and also “one tough cookie” said  “we have to pray with our eyes on God , not on our difficulties”. 

So, prayer is the way we keep the telescope pointed in the right way. Here’s some encouragements to pray:

• “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” – Abraham Lincoln
• “God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil.” – Mother Teresa
• “To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.” – Billy Graham
• This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1John 5:14)  
• Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

With all that said, remember that Jesus taught us how to pray. The first two words are most important…”Our Father”. We’re praying to “Our Father”. We are his children. He desires to hear us and take care of us. 

So, let’s remember to approach the throne of grace with confidence with our many needs, knowing that our all powerful and loving father will be there to help us…..and our problems will shrink in size, …..  and all will be well with our soul.