S4 E3 - Seeing Something for the Thousandth Time for the First Time

I was driving around Danville with a friend who had never been to my little town before when he said, "Danville: quite simply the nicest town." I asked why he said that, and he pointed to the water tower. Friends, I have driven past this tower a thousand times and never seen that. He noticed it after seeing it once with fresh eyes. 

That is often how scripture discovery goes. We might have read something a thousand times and still not noticed something, but then someone brings something to our attention that we just have never seen. When you think you've got something down, go back and look at it again. 

#SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Transcript

What if I told you that God could be seen in the most ordinary things every day? 

What if I told you that every day, ordinary events could teach us extraordinary eternal truths?

Would you believe me? 

 Welcome back to season 4 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! My name is BJ Sipe, and I am a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. And I’m excited to share a few moments together with you learning some important lessons from the simplest things. Thanks for tuning in! 

Well my day got moved all around yesterday, hence the day late drop for the podcast. I got a call on Thursday evening, asking if I could pick up a dear friend from the airport in Louisville the following day. He had some business to attend to in the area, so I moved some things around and made my way to go pick him up. The nature of his business is private, so his identity will be kept a secret for this episode – but let’s just call him Jim. We got back into town and like a good host, I wanted to show him around the area that I live and call home. We went down the bypass, down main street, and showed him all of my favorite places around town: Dry Stack Coffee, Burkes Bakery, etc. One of the things that he had mentioned to me is wanting to get some Kentucky Fried Chicken while he was in Kentucky, so we made our way toward Lee’s – a local franchise that makes some absolutely wonderful fried chicken. We were just about to the chicken joint when Jim says to me: “Danville: quite simply the nicest town.” I looked over with a smirk, “Well, I certainly think so! But what makes you say that?” I asked. He pointed up and to the right through the front window of my Subaru, and responded, “It says so right there on your water tower.” I eyebrows scrunched a little bit down into my face, “Wait…what?” I ducked down while cocking my head and looked up. There below the name “Danville” painted in all caps across the front of the tower was the cute little slogan – “quite simply the nicest town.” So, here’s the funny thing about it all. When we first moved out to Danville, the water towers were one of the first things that I noticed. They are everywhere around this part of the country, and Danville itself has several. Water towers are not that prevalent where I am from in Oregon, so I took note of them immediately upon moving here. This is where the funny part comes in: I have driven past this particular water tower probably a thousand times or more over the past 5 years, and not once, not a single time have I ever noticed the slogan that was written underneath. I knew that it said Danville, but I had no clue that there was more to it than that. And yet here was Jim, seeing this tower for the very first time in his life, and he was able to see what I have never been able to see despite driving past it over and over again. So, I’m not quite sure what to make of that. Maybe I’m just oblivious, that is most definitely a possibility.  But maybe, just maybe, it’s because sometimes we just don’t see what others see. 

The whole ordeal reminded me of the end of Luke’s narrative where are we going to see a similar event take place in two different instances, both in chapter 24. The first occurs between Jesus and two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The two disciples presume that Jesus (who they did not recognize in his resurrected form) was ignorant of the events that had just transpired in Jerusalem concerning the death and empty tomb of Jesus. These two men, one of which is named as Cleopas, had been in great debate and discussion about these things. That is when Jesus told them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:25-27) The second instance occurs directly after this first account, and it takes place between the Lord and his eleven apostles. Jesus appears to them, and they are bewildered to see the risen Lord again – they simply do not understand how this could be. That is when the text records for us, “He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:44-45) I want us to stop and consider both of these events at this point. These men were disciples, faithful Jewish men who had spent a great amount of time with Jesus. Not only this, but from their youth they had been raised to understand and know the Scriptures. They had likely read or heard the Scriptures a thousand times in their lives, and yet they still were not able to see what the text was really saying until the Lord showed it to them. Now, let me make this point very clearly, none of us can come anywhere close to having the kind of understanding of Scripture like our Lord – that is certainly not the application here. But there is something about these instances that does directly apply to us, and that is this: no matter how many times we have read or studied the Scriptures, there is always more for us to learn. I can’t tell you how many times in my life I have been studying a text with someone else, and they would bring up a point that I had just never seen before in my life. It was always right there in front of me in the text, but it was not until it was pointed out to me that I noticed it. There are two Proverbs that apply directly to this that we would do well to remember: Proverbs 11:14 & 15:22. The say the following: “Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” And again, “Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” I want you to take note of the emphasis the Proverb author makes on many counselors and advisors. Why is that? Because with many teachers and counselors comes a fuller and more complete understanding. For example, if I study the Scriptures alone for myself, I will be able to glean many good things. However, how much more will I understand the Scriptures when I also listen to the observations and applications of another? And another? And another? Over time, as others are able to illustrate and enlighten things that we just have never noticed before, we will begin to grow to obtain a better and fuller understanding of the Scriptures. To summarize, when you think you’ve got a handle on something, go back and look at it again with fresh eyes and even the eyes of a friend. You’ll be surprised at the things you’ll discover that you just never happened to notice before. 

This has been the Set Your Mind Above Podcast, season 4 episode 3 – and I’m so thankful that you decided to tune in today! A new episode is dropped each Friday, so be sure to listen in again next week! Also, if you’re able to, go ahead and like and subscribe to the podcast, as well as share it with someone else – it would help me greatly in trying to reach others. And more than anything, always remember the following: know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each and every day set our minds above.