Through heaven's eyes

God speaks well of us and he is actually honoring us. It can be very surprising sometimes, when we tend to focus on our mistakes and failures, and we believe that God will do the same thing, for sure. We know that he knows everything and will be able to pick up on bad things in us that we weren't even aware of. That might be true, but it is a gross misconception about the nature of God. He is not like that! He is not interested in pulling us down, but the opposite! He wants to lift us up! Like nobody else he can find something good and praiseworthy in the most broken vessel!

Think about Sarah in the Bible, Abraham's wife. She talks Abraham into "helping God" by producing an offspring with the servant girl, Hagar, (Gen 16:1-3). Later on, she is laughing when she hears the promise about having a son in her old age, and then she denies that she was laughing (Gen 18:10-15). And once Ishmael grows up she is filled with jealousy and makes Abraham send them off into the wilderness (Gen 21).

Now, to me, that is not what I spontaneously would call a great woman of faith. But to God, it is. He doesn't keep count of our shortcomings. In the famous 11th chapter of Hebrews where some of the great Heroes of Faith are listed, sure enough, Sarah is listed as one of them. (Hebrews 11:11)

God certainly does not see as man sees,

for man looks on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks on the heart.

1 Sam 16:7


We need to learn to have a heavenly perspective as well!

When I feel like "I have done nothing in my life worth honoring", God might call me a "brave young woman". When I feel like I cannot take part in the party of life because "I am not worthy" and "I don't know how to dance", God will make sure to send people into my life to invite me in over and over and he will tell me: "You must learn to join the dance".


This video clip from the Prince of Egypt illustrates it all beautifully.
The priest Jethro in this video is just like I am imagining Father God, right now: big, huggable, loud but gentle, dancing with his children, inviting us to the party.