WHAT DO YOU SEE IN TIMES OF TROUBLE?

Acts 7:55-56

"But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'"

As an avid golfer, I was reading a recent issue of Golf Digest magazine when I came upon an article about how to deal with a "shot over trouble." In golf, "trouble" is an obstacle between the golfer and the desired goal. The author's point was the average golfer sees only the trouble or obstacles (trees, water, sand, etc). To be successful you have to see the goal -- the wide open fairway and the green -- "not the trouble." How true is this for us in life as well?

Stephen was in "big" trouble. He had spoken against the rulers of the Jewish community and had angered them beyond measure. Most of us in a similar situation would begin to see the negative consequences or punishment we were going to receive. Not so Stephen. He saw "heaven open and the Son of Man (Jesus) standing at the right hand of God."

Why? I would propose he had the right perspective: First, he was convinced he had done God's will. Second, he was full of the Holy Spirit. Third, he looked up to heaven (rather than down upon the world and his "trouble").

Stephen saw the goal, not the trouble. What do you see: the obstacles in front of you, or heaven? I believe Stephen saw Jesus standing, not because His (Jesus) work on earth was unfinished, but because He was illustrating to us that He is with us always - all we have to do is look. How could you begin look past the troubles and obstacles and see the goal today?

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