Look Straight

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." (Luke 22:61)

There are only 47 instances of the word "straight" in the NIV. And a fair few of the New Testament instances use this "then someone looked straight at someone else" phrase. It's really quite interesting to me, because it says in this verse that once the Lord (Jesus) looked at Peter, Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him earlier. And at this time Peter wasn't too terribly close to Jesus, because he was trying to save his own skin by denying he knew the man. And yet Jesus was able to turn and look directly at Peter, so there was no doubt at all whom he was addressing, even though Jesus didn't speak a single word.

God does the same thing for us even now. Maybe when we are in the midst of doing something we know to be wrong, someone we know will see us, or we will see someone else who is reaping the "rewards" of living a lifestyle that is out of the will of God, and this will suddenly look us straight in the face and say "This is what you are going to become if you do not change your ways."

Or maybe you'll see an advertisement for, say, soap, and a revelation from God will hit you right between the eyes. I have received God's word to me by looking at a tree.

The point here is this: God may not always say clear concise words in English (or your native tongue) when He wishes to speak to you, but He is always talking, always sharing His wisdom with us. And because we often forget to listen, He will slap us in the face with something or someone catching our attention in a way that will make our heart resonate with the knowledge that this is a revelation straight from God.

So keep your eyes open.