For Your Eyes Only

The title of this blog sounds like an old James Bond spy movie from the early 80’s or a Shena Easton song from the same era, or both.  In reality, what I am really trying to say here is, ‘only with your eyes shall you look,’ but it didn’t sound as cool.  It’s a phrase that comes from a passage out of Psalm 91 when David says,

“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. ⁸ Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. ⁹ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, ¹⁰ No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; ¹¹ For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. ¹² In their hands they shall bear you up (lift), lest you dash (strike) your foot against a stone.”                   – Psalm 91:7-12

While this passage has helped a lot of believers over the centuries get through some perilous situations and such, it has a general relevance with regard to where we are at today with all that we are seeing happening around us.  Many believers are worried about what might happen to them or what may befall them if things continue as they are; especially with the economy, our military, and the overall safety of the nation as a whole. 

In my heart I want to encourage you a bit with a word that I feel is appropriate for this issue of safety, security, and the sense of dread that we are feeling right now.  I want to say that ‘normal’ as we knew it before March of 2020 is not coming back; however, Jesus is, and very soon, possibly before the end of this summer.  There is something about a summertime Rapture scenario that fits with this looming global crisis we are ‘seeing with our eyes.’  While I am not a date setter when it comes to the Rapture, I do believe that we can know the season of the Lord’s return; and I must tell you that Jesus is coming very soon.  The warfare in my life alone speaks to the enemy attempting to ‘take my crown’ ^{(Revelation 3:11)} or ‘bewitch’ ^{(Galatians 3:1)} me in my faith.  I am not a Rapture rusher perse, but there is not a problem in my life that it wouldn’t’ solve.  

Many believers are living in fear that they will be adversely affected by what is coming, and for the most part, wewould be if we were staying, but we’re not.  ‘Only with our eyes will we look and see the reward of the wicked,’ or in our case, the ‘forming’ of the reward of the wicked.  Right now I am building a large deck and I am digging footers and placing form boxes around them for greater support.  What we are seeing right now in the world is a forming of the coming seven-year tribulation.  If I wasn’t a Christian and I was seeing all of this happening in the world, I would be very afraid.  Since I am a Christian and I am seeing all of this happening in the world, I am not afraid because I know that I won’t be here. It’s not arrived as of yet, but it’s being formed up right now.  It’s a good thing that I believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture otherwise I would be a little freaked out.

This being said, I have to consider the plight of the other guy, the person who is not saved and is not ready for what is about to hit our world.  It’s to these people that I pray and witness to as God gives me the opportunity.  I am a watchman and I will watch and pray while sharing my faith with anyone who will listen to the hope that is within me; He is Jesus, my Lord and Savior and very soon coming King. 

Listen brothers (and sisters), we are all in a race, a spiritual race.  The end of the race is just ahead of us and the enemy of our soul doesn’t want us to complete it well.  Many of our brothers and sisters who have ran before us have already finished their race.  We are in the final lap and the crowd is going wild, cheering us on, and urging us to be faithful in this last lap.  We must finish our race well and reap the reward that the Lord Jesus has prepared for us on the other side.

The Hebrew writer said it this way, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfecter) of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”           – Hebrews 12:1-3

Jesus told us that the world would look the way it does right now just before His return. ^{(Matthew 24)}  He empowered us by His Holy Spirit to be strong and courageous ^{(fear under control)} and run our race with endurance.  This is not the time to be squeamish or to shrink back into perdition.  Now is the time to be strong and to recognize the power that is within us to overcome the adversity that we will experience just before the Rapture.

“Now the just (God’s just ones) shall live by faith; but if anyone draws (falls) back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” ³⁹ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition (destruction), but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”       – Hebrews 10:38,39

The Lord has given us everything that we need for life and godliness ^{(1 Timothy 2:2)} and we must use these assets to complete our race. David reminds us that ‘because we have made the Lord, who is our refuge, even the Most High, our dwelling place; no evil shall befall us, nor shall any plague come near our dwelling.’  I believe this to mean, among other things, that the evil of the seven-year tribulation will NOT come near us because we, as true believers in Jesus, won’t be here to experience any of it.   No doubt there will be a nuclear exchange, an economic collapse, and a major shift in freedom as we know it, along with the power nations of the world.  All of this and more, we will NOT experience.  Only with our eyes will we see the forming of this evil, but it shall not come near us!

The main reason David says this is because ‘God has given His angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways.’   While angels will be involved in this process, the Holy Spirit of God Almighty who lives within us is also at work, restraining evil throughout the globe until we are gone. ^{(2 Thessalonians 2:7)} David tells us ^{(Psalm 91:12)} that ‘in their hands they shall bear, or lift, us up; or else we would dash (strike) our foot against a stone.’  I believe, among other things, that this passage correlates to the angels of God snatching us off the planet at the moment of the Rapture.  While this passage can mean other things, I believe it can also reference this.  It may be that at the moment the missiles come down, we are caught away; and only with our eyes shall we see the reward of the wicked.      

This blog post is for those who are worried about the pending doom of the tribulation that is casting its shadow upon the earth right now.  We are not to fear, doubt God, or worry.  Bible prophecy has already been written and God is in total control of everything.  We are to be faithful to the Lord in our service of Him and do our best from now until the trumpet sounds and we all go home.  Until then, we must occupy and not waste a moment doing what God has called us to be doing for such a time as this.

We are living in a pretribulation era and we are looking for a pretribulation Rapture.   Until it happens, we must continue to keep the faith, be useful to the Master, and steward well those people and things that God has entrusted to our care.  Don’t worry, just know that only with your eyes will you see the reward of the wicked; that ride is NOT for us.

Maranatha!          

Encouragemen is a blog written by Pastor Rob Lee, recently relocated to Northwest Missouri.  He lives with his wife of 34-years, near their three adult children, their spouses, and children (their grandchildren).  Pastor Rob is an Ordained Assemblies of God minister, a former Lead Pastor (25 years), police chaplain, and community advocate.  He continues to serve, consult, and disciple men of God, including those who are in the ministry.