My co-worker was looking at a sheet of paper lying in front of him. He said he thought he saw an arrow drawn on the page. When he looked back, he didn’t see it anymore. I was standing on the other side of the table from him and quickly pointed out the BIG RED Arrow that was hiding behind his hand that was resting on the page.

The same BIG RED arrow that was obvious to me was invisible to my co-worker. The explanation: we were looking from different perspectives. What was hidden from him was in plain view to me. I started to think about how much our perspective affects our lives from day to day.

Perspective doesn’t depend on circumstances, it depends on position.

I was able to see the arrow that my co-worker could not see because I was in a different position. We can change our position by a simple posture change, but there are other ways to change our position as well.

1. A Position of Obedience

God promised Abraham, who had no children at the time, that his descendants would become a great nation so numerous, they could not be counted. He waited nearly 15 years and into old age for the birth of his promised son. Then God asked him to sacrifice his promised son on an altar. As he took his son up to the place where he planned to sacrifice him, I can only imagine that he was going over and over in his mind to figure a way out. As he raised his arm to slay the boy, in the very moment of his obedience, he found the answer he was looking for.

Genesis 22:12-13

2. A Position of Faith

Israel had been held captive in Egypt for many years. They were forced to work as slaves to ruthless Egyptian slave masters. Through a series of bizarre events, (the ten plagues), Pharaoh let the whole nation of Israel leave Egypt directed by Moses and Aaron. As they made their way, the Egyptian pharaoh changed his mind about letting them go, realizing he would lose all his laborers. He gathered his army and followed them. Moses and the nation of Israel found themselves between a rock and a hard place or between the Red Sea and a very powerful army! The people were fearful, but Moses trusted God to deliver them from their circumstances. He had not brought them this far to let them be crushed by their enemy.

Exodus 14:10-14

Moses believed God could do something amazing! They only needed to stand firm and be still…in other words trust God.

Exodus 14:21-22

Not only did God make a way for them to move forward, but He also defeated their enemy by causing the water to close in on them behind Israel.

3. A Position of a Spirit-Filled Life

Stephen had been brought to the Sanhedrin on charges of blasphemy based on false witnesses. He gave a long speech to the high priest to defend himself. In the speech, he accused the Jews of killing the Son of God, the one God sent to save them all. His stand for Christ put him in a life-threatening situation.

Acts 7:54-60

Stephen was truly given a new perspective. He was allowed to see right into heaven. How comforting that must have been in his situation. In this case, his perspective did not actually change his circumstances, but it gave him peace to go through his circumstances. He was also able to forgive those who were stoning him. He not only forgave them, but he had compassion on them that God would forgive them.

In all three of these cases, there is a Common Thread.

LOOK UP! Abraham looked up. The Israelites looked up. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up.

In all three of these situations, they all looked up for their answer. The Israelites were unable to see it right away, but Moses held out his right hand in faith until they all saw a miraculous answer. There are many things in this life that can cause us to stress or worry or even be sad, but if we can keep our eyes fixed on God by obeying, trusting, and walking with Him, we can have peace as well as everything we need.

Matthew 6:30-33