Something's Burning

As Mom handed me the leather case, I was immediately transported to my childhood. I pictured myself as a 10-year-old, lying on the ground outside,

focused on the wood beneath me. The small, round magnifying glass in the leather case belonged to my dad and he always stored it in his toolbox in the garage. Occasionally, I would be allowed to take it out and use it to burn something into a piece of wood on a sunny day. I would patiently focus the sun through the glass onto a plank and wait for what seemed like forever before smoke would start curling from the wood and start burning an imprint. I was mesmerized by the process and would spend what seemed like hours to a 10-year-old working to make a design.

That magnifying glass reminds me of my dad. It also reminds me of my Heavenly Father and His desire to see me magnify Him in my life. Psalm 34:3 speaks to this, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”

Just as I liked to focus the sunshine through the magnifying glass, I also need to focus God’s Son, Jesus, through the lens of His Word, onto my heart. Proverbs 7:1-3 commands us to keep scripture ever before us, “My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” The more time I spend in God’s Word, studying, learning and applying it to my life (writing it on my heart), the more I can magnify Him and bring Him glory. Just as the plank of wood is never the same after I focused the sun on it, so my heart is forever changed by the application of scripture in my life.

The magnifying glass allows me to view things more clearly when I look through it as it enlarges details of its focus. The same is true of the Bible. As I study it, I learn more about my Savior and His promises. It brings clarity and direction. To do this I have to be intentional. I must pull out the magnifier and focus. If I left the glass in its leather case, I would never get results. I must spend time in the Word before it can have an effect in my life. Just having my Bible lying on the table isn’t enough to make a difference.

Where would God have you focus attention today? If you are unsure of where to start, I would encourage time in the Psalms, Proverbs, or the Gospel of John. Go slowly and allow God to focus your attention and bring clarity where it is needed. Listen to Him speak to you through the passages you read. Reflect on how you can apply them in your life. Then together, we can “magnify the Lord and exalt His name together.”