Seen Before We See

 

Readings

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

God is all‑knowing —  

eternal, steady, unchanging.  

And because He is eternal,  

no matter how much I mess up,  

He still holds a plan for me

that will accomplish His will.  

He still calls me to follow His call.

I can choose not to obey.  

Yet even in my wandering,  

God is already moving toward me.

He sees me before 

I ever look for Him,  

calls me before 

I ever understand Him,  

and prepares a place 

long before my feet  

ever start walking toward it.  

That’s the mystery of grace —  

God begins the relationship  

before I even know one has started.

It all about a people —  

a people He sees,  

a people He loves,  

a people He calls.

His call always begins with being seen.

“Before Philip called you, I saw you.“

“I have been with you wherever you went.”

If you follow His call,

Jesus widens the promise:  

“You will see heaven opened,  

and angels ascending and descending…”

So today, maybe the invitation is simple:  

to trust God who sees first,  

calls first,  

loves first —  

and to take one small step  

toward the place

He has already prepared.

Prayer

Lord, 

You see me before 

I ever look for You. 

Call me again into the place 

You’ve prepared. 

Steady my heart

when obedience feels hard. 

Let Your will shape

my steps and my story. 

Keep me close to the God 

who sees first and loves first.

Amen

St. Bartholomew, pray for us