Seeing Clearly

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I’ve been prayin’ for
It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day

This old Johnny Nash song reminds us that we do have dark days with depression, pain, sickness, impaired vision. The rainbow may remind us of The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy or the Biblical Noah… Either way it brings promise and hope.

The light of the bright sunshiny day takes away our darkness is. We can see clearly…

‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is greater power with us than with him.’ (2Chronicles 32:7)

This morning I read these words of King Hezekiah. The powerful Assyrian King Sennacherib with his great army were attacking Jerusalem.

Seeing clearly for Hezekiah involved seeing that their God was more powerful than the military strength of Sennacherib.

Day by day, dear Lord, three things I pray: to see you more clearly, to love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day.

Richard of Chichester’s old prayer suggests that seeing clearly is not enough. ‘Seeing’ alone is passive; it must lead to active ‘following’.

Dorothy saw her rainbow clearly, representing her hopes and dreams. To discover them she had ‘to follow’ the yellow brick road. Her journey to The Wizard…

Hezekiah had to take action – following his God, using the ‘greater power’.

Between clear sight and active following comes the strong, loving character that we need in our thoughts and actions.

‘Seeing clearly’ leads to ‘loving dearly’ and ‘following nearly’. Day by day. It’s our rainbow prayer.