Life through a Keyhole

Looking through a door peephole only gives limited sight; looking through old keyholes did the same.

Modern doors with locks have keyholes, but you can't see anything through them. When I was growing up you could. Keyholes in doors constructed years ago didn't have keyholes in the door knob itself but rather below it in a totally separate mechanism. Skeleton keys were used to open and lock the door-if the homeowner could find them. If a mischievous child wanted to spy on his parents or siblings, all he had to do was look through the keyhole. Like a door peephole, however, the keyhole provided only a limited view. The one peeping could only glimpse what was directly in front of them along with very limited vision of peripheral areas.

When trials and troubles overwhelm me, I try to remember I'm only looking at life through a keyhole. So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. "For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." (II Corinthians 4:18 NLT)

God has the advantage of seeing my life-and everyone else's from the initiation of time, from beginning to end. I don't have that privilege. What seems like a terrible thing to me may be viewed differently by my sovereign Sustainer. I only have keyhole vision; he has an outlook on the entire schemata.

Looking at life through the keyhole reminds me I serve a big God whose unconditional love and concern for me never grows cold. The bad he allows he will reinvent for my benefit, and what he directly sends will always have my spiritual betterment in mind.

Are difficulties engulfing you? Remember you're only looking at life through a keyhole. Trust the One who can see it all.

Prayer: Remind us, merciful Father, that You control our life events and will not allow anything into our years on earth that doesn't better prepare us for our eternity with You.

Martin Wiles
Hodges, South Carolina, USA