February 8, 2021 7:00 pm
The cockeyed squid lives in the ocean’s “twilight zone” where sunlight barely filters through the increasingly deep waters. The squid’s nickname is a reference to its two extremely different eyes: the left eye develops over time to become considerably larger than the right—almost twice as big. Scientists studying the mollusk have deduced that the squid uses its right eye, the smaller one, to look down into the darker depths. The larger, left eye, gazes upward, toward the sunlight.
The squid is an unlikely depiction of what it means to live in our present world and also in the future certainty we await as people who “have been raised with Christ” (Colossians 3:1). In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he insists we ought to “set [our] minds on things above” because our lives are “hidden with Christ in God” (vv. 2–3).
As earth-dwellers awaiting our lives in heaven, we keep an eye trained on what’s happening around us in our present reality. But just as the squid’s left eye develops over time into one that’s larger and more sensitive to what’s happening overhead, we, too, can grow in our awareness of the ways God’s at work in the spiritual realm. We may not have yet fully grasped what it means to be alive in Christ, but as we look “up,” our eyes will begin to see it more and more.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled Looking Up, was written by Kirsten Holmberg. The cockeyed squid lives in the ocean's twilight zone, where sunlight barely filters through the deep waters. The squid's nickname is a reference to its two extremely different eyes. The left eye develops over time to become considerably larger than the right, almost twice as big. Scientists studying the mollusk have deduced that the squid uses its right eye, the smaller one, to look down into the darker depths.
The larger left eye gazes upward toward the sunlight. The squid is an unlikely depiction of what it means to live in our present world and also in the future certainty we await as people who have been raised with Christ. In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he insists we ought to set our minds on things above because our lives are hidden with Christ and God. As earth dwellers awaiting our lives in heaven, we keep an eye trained on what's happening around us in our present reality. But just as the squid's left eye develops over time into one that's larger and more sensitive to what's happening overhead, we too can grow in our awareness of the ways God works in the spiritual realm. We may not have yet fully grasped what it means to be alive in Jesus, but as we look up, our eyes will begin to see it more and more.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Colossians chapter 3 verses 1 through 4. Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ and God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Let's pray. Gracious Father, thank you for raising us to new life when we came to you in repentance for our sins. As your new creations, help us to focus on the things that are eternal rather than the temporary things of this world. Train our minds to focus on things above and to always give you honor and praise for what you did on our behalf. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-12-26 13:09:57 / 2023-12-26 13:11:19 / 1
