Have you ever stood on the shore of Lake Superior on a foggy, misty morning looking out over the expanse of water? The water and the sky seem to blend together, because the horizon is obscured by the fog. What emotion did that stir within you? Did you feel disoriented? Lost? Apprehensive of the unknown? Unsettled? Unreal? Sad? Tranquil? Subdued?
How about standing on the same shoreline on a day when the sky is a vibrant blue and the water matches the color of the sky making the boundary between earth and sky disappear? Do you feel exhilarated? Adventurous? Free? Optimistic? Hopeful? Awed? Refreshed?
Now imagine yourself standing on the shore with camera in hand. You snap a few pictures of the water and sky. Did you notice that in one of your photos, the horizon is higher which drew your attention to the land?
But did you see in another photo that the horizon is lower in the picture,
and the sky took center stage?
The point? We should change the centerpoint of our eye lense to focus on the sky and not so much on the land.
Symbolically speaking, a horizon represents a boundary between the known and the unknown that includes both limits and infinite possibilities. It represents hope and opportunity. The eastern horizon where the sun rises is a powerful symbol for new beginnings, hope, and the start of a new day. Colossians 3:1 says it this way, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Spiritually speaking, the horizon symbolizes the promise of God’s faithfulness and mercy, which is new every morning as the sun rises on the horizon – a future filled with infinite opportunities and hope that lies just beyond what is currently in sight.
When people of the Old Testament heard about the coming Messiah, it must have been like picturing the Messiah through a dense fog. They could not see how the promise of a Savior could or would happen. However, we have hindsight that is 20-20.
God’s horizon is that He sent His only begotten Son who identified Himself saying “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
The Kingdom is on the Horizon!
God’s reign and final plan for humanity and earth are approaching in the foreseeable future. So, what are we to do? One thing we are NOT to do, and that is to be complacent! Rather, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus even when other circumstances obscure our vision much like fog obscures our view (Hebrews 12:2). We are to stay alert, to be ready to meet Jesus (Matthew 24:44), to be faithful and not fearful (Revelation 2:10). Also, we are to pray, stand firm in our faith (Matthew 24:13).
And of extreme importance, we are to SHARE THE GOSPEL! (Mark 16:15) The lost need to be made aware that the Kingdom on the horizon is fast approaching. They need to hear that whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36).
May you be encouraged to look beyond the temporary things of earth (seen) and to focus on the eternal realities of heaven (unseen). May you watch the sky with great anticipation.