A Promise to Ponder Vol. 1, Issue 14

1 Corinthians 13: 12 - For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

a glass – 1) a mirror, a) the mirrors of the ancients were made, not of glass, but steel

darkly – 1) an obscure saying, enigma, riddle, 2) an obscure thing

   Have you ever looked in a foggy mirror? How well were you able to see to comb your hair or, for girls, put make up on? My guess is that you probably couldn’t see very well. This is a picture of what this verse is saying. Right now, in this life, we cannot tell what will happen. We cannot say for certain that we will be somewhere at a certain time. Why? Because we don’t know 100% that we will not become ill, receive a call, or message that will drastically change our plans, get into a wreck, or be admitted into the hospital, or for that matter die. The Bible says in James 4:13 - 15 “13. Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” You see this life is uncertain, it is like a foggy mirror while you may be able to see an outline you cannot see the details. There is only One who can see all the details and that’s Christ. This is why we must learn to depend on Him and trust Him in this life.

   The second portion of our verse states “but then face to face”. There is coming a day when all things will become clear. What do you do when you can’t see yourself in the foggy mirror? You wipe it off with a towel or a cloth of some type. When you do this all becomes clear and you now see yourself face to face, clearly. I’m sure you have heard the old saying “Hindsight is 20/20”, well when we reach Heaven we will understand the things of this life that we did not and will be able to focus completely on Christ. It is wonderful to me to know that though I don’t understand all that God is doing right now He knows exactly what is taking place and why. This means we don’t have to worry about the “why” to this life, only the “how”. We need not say “Why has this happened?” we can say “How can I serve God more effectively through this?” So, if there is something you have been trying to find out the “why” to, stop fretting and give it to God because He knows the “why”. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Now that’s a Promise to Ponder.