It's good to think more deeply about the mercies of God in times of crisis. To help guide us in this effort, we'll consider Paul David Tripp's collection of meditations from Psalm 27 called "A Shelter in the Time of Storm." You can get your own copy on Amazon here.

...that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

Psalm 27:4

For over 30 years Tripp has been friends with a man, named George, who is blind. Because they are friends, he thinks about the situation of his blindness and the impact it has on a human life. This, in itself is a great lesson for us to consider: the lesson of "considering."

From my favorite Proverb:

I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
the ground was covered with nettles,
and its stone wall was broken down.

Then I saw and considered it;
I looked and received instruction.

A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.

As Solomon once saw an overgrown field and stopped to consider what it could teach him, so Tripp considers what physical blindness can teach us about the spiritual sort. Through what ordinary aspects of life is God offering to teach you if you'll stop and consider them?

Tripp draws three lessons from his friend's blindness:

1. There is no more important set of eyes than the eyes of the heart. Life is shaped by what you see, and this is as true of the eyes of faith as it is the eyes of your body.
2. It's important to humbly accept our blindness. We should not live in denial - of our own sin or of the truth and grace of God around us. Can we see God's grace at work in every situation? Not if we rely on our own vision.
3. Blindness is best dealt with in community. Just as George relies on his loved ones to help him, so spiritual blindness needs assistance from the community of faith. We need people to help us see what we do not and who will lovingly help us to admit how blind we are unless we follow the one who gives (spiritual) sight. 
4. We should long for perfect vision. George longs for the day when all things, including his broken vision, will be made new and whole. He accepts his present reality while longing for the one that is to come. That should describe us as well. 

Questions to Consider

The questions are Tripp's. I included my answers in case they're helpful to read.

1. Which of the four insights from George's life are particularly needful for you?

- The fourth. As a self-described "realist," I'm so quick to accept things as they are I don't long nearly enough for the way they ought to be. 

2. How could you make greater use of the community of insight that God has placed around you in the body of Christ? 

- Telling people what to do is not the same as helping them see. I'd like to be the kind of husband, father, friend, and pastor who helps people to see.