Our lens on life

There is an itriguing chapter in Hannah W.Smiths book 'The God of all Comfort' which is entitled 'Much more versus much less'.
She says our view of things a)does not affect the reality of things but (b) our view affects our taking hold of these realities. "And while our safety comes from what things really are, our comfort comes from what we suppose them to be." Ahaaa! So very true.

How many times are we left oomfortless because we do not see things his way, and therefore cannot take hold of his comfort and encouragement.
I have heard two such cases in two days - where their view of reality is obscuring the richness of grace offered to them by our compassionate Father. And both push away any suggestion of there being a different view of their situation. They are locked into their stronghold of fear and despair.

Hannah goes on to write about the 'much mores' in Scripture... the abundance that is there for us - which we can find so hard to access if we have a 'much less'/poor me/ victim mentality.

I am finding that in threatening situations where I could be so discouraged or wounded - as I decare the good purposes of God - 'he intends to do me good in this'- the whole menace melts away and my heart is strengthened by the reality I choose to view life from. The English mystic Julian of Norwich said once, after reviewing the many trials and testings that were happening during her life-time, "His meaning is love." Sounds obscure? I think it simply means that God only sees us in love and intends for us to be held in his love come what may. We cannot attribute to him anything else. Because that is who he is. Our trial doesn't test if he loves us ('he would not allow this if he loved me...') - it simply tests if we can trust in his love and his loving purposes come what may. When our heart is at rest in his love - no storm can snatch us away from that safe place.