There’s a name for it: pareidolia.
You’ve no doubt experienced it, when discovering a cloud that resembles a bushy-bearded, old man, or a house with windows and a front door that look like eyes, a nose, and mouth, or a car with headlights staring ahead and a grille grinning at you.
We seem to be wired to find faces everywhere we look.
Similar to this ability in the physical realm, we’ve also been gifted with eyes of the heart that can see truth in the spiritual realm–everywhere we look—if we seek it.
For example:
“LOOK AT the birds of the air,” Jesus directed. “They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26).
The perfections of God’s provision are on display everywhere we look in creation, reminding us that out of his goodness, he’ll care for us too.
LOOK BEHIND:
King David wrote, “I LOOK BEHIND me and you’re there” (Psalm 139:5 MSG).
David was likely remembering what God had accomplished in the past–the problems resolved, the blessings provided, the satisfying moments spent with God that quieted his spirit.
We too can LOOK BEHIND for such indicators of God’s presence in our lives, and his work on our behalf.
LOOK FOR:
“Beg for knowledge; plead for insight. LOOK FOR it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:3-4 GNT).
Pastor/Bible teacher, Charles Swindoll would have us understand:
“Hidden in the scriptures are priceless verbal vaults. Silent. Hard to find. Easy to miss if you’re in a hurry. But they are there, awaiting discovery. God’s Word, like a deep, deep mine, stands ready to yield its treasures”[1].
It’s been a joy of my life to LOOK FOR the treasure of truth in the Bible. You too?
LOOK FORWARD:
“Let your eyes LOOK FORWARD; fix your gaze straight ahead,” advised King Solomon (Proverbs 4:25 HCSB).
Why? We need to focus on the goal of glorifying God and enjoying him forever [2], avoiding those distractions that might lead to the compromise of our faith, or into the evil of this world.
LOOK TO:
“I LOOK TO the mountains; where will my help come from? My help will come from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2 GNT).
Begin the day with the affirmation, “My powerful God created the universe! With that same power He’s promised to help me” (Psalm 46:1)!
Then seize the day with confidence, knowing that nothing can stand in his way.
LOOK UP:
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will LOOK UP” (Psalm 5:3 KJV).
And when we LOOK UP, what do we see? A God who loves us, desires what’s best for us, and works through events, relationships, challenges, and blessings to bring that best into fruition.
LOOK WITHIN:
LOOK WITHIN as you “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine” (2 Corinthians 13:5a NLT).
Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”
So here are a few questions to guide us as we LOOK WITHIN to take a spiritual inventory:
Am I living a life of obedience out of heartfelt gratitude for what Christ has done for me?
Am I relying upon the Holy Spirit to produce his qualities in my life—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and more (Galatians 5:22-23)?
What do my reactions reveal about my faith? How do I respond to criticism, unkindness, or anger?
“Self-examination does not imply sinless living. Rather it implies Christlike growing”—Randy Smith [3].
Finding faces everywhere we look in the physical realm can be a fun past time.
Finding truth everywhere we look in the spiritual realm is a necessity because . . .
“. . . As we delight in the truth of God’s Word and live out the truth of God’s Word, it truly becomes a lifeline to our souls”—Lysa Terkheurst, Embraced, 309-310.
[1] Come before Winter, 230.
[2] From the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
[3] From a sermon, “The Basis for Spiritual Growth,” May 22, 2022, https://gracequotes.org/topic/self-examination/.
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