Are You Having A "Gnat" Problem


Psalm 34:5 (NIV) “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”

Wow! When I think of how many times I think I need to “fix myself” before looking to God, I am surprised at my lack of… Faith? Trust? Heart? Whatever it is – it surprises me just how often I try to “fix” things on my own, in my own way, in my own understanding!

This verse jumped a big MEF (mind’s eye flash): I’m sitting in the middle of a room. All around are my troubles and worries, concerns, failures, things I’m not proud of… they seem to not only be on the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, but they are floating all around me like little gnats. As I “try” to look for Jesus, I keep getting hit by the gnats of descriptions all around me. Mostly all negative and degrading. Then there is a light coming in through a teeny-tiny whole above me, it looks like a little beam of a flash light or one of those pointer light things. It shines on a gnat that is ever so close to my face. Poof! It is gone! Right before my very eyes, gone! Then a strange thing happens: the dark space where the negative gnat word was is replaced with a bit of light and a positive truth! THEN, the hole where the light is coming through, starts to grow. I feel encouraged to reach out and touch these words of affirmation and encouragement. As I do, I am lifted up. Pretty soon, the room is not really a room anymore. But as I ‘look out and around’ it is like I am under a robe or a veil of some sort. I can see clearly through it and all around me, but I can see that I am covered by this. I realize I am actually covered by Jesus. His love, grace, forgiveness, mercy… all of the words floating around me, touching me, lifting me up. These are the very attributes of Jesus Himself! I realize too, that as I keep looking towards Him, and grabbing a-hold of the truths, I become less and less dark. Less and less filled with shame, regret, fear, worry… Then as I look up even farther, it is like I am seeing just a speck of a bit of God, and He is looking down on me with such love! Warm, engulfing, filling love and acceptance. I realize this verse is how God sees me, “radiant” because He is looking at me through Jesus covering me. He doesn’t see all of my scars or stains, but all of the bits of goodness and holiness of Jesus – yet it is me He is looking at! Pretty stinkin’ neat!!

Today, if you have gnats of negativism floating about you – get out the ONLY bug killer that not only gets rid of them, but brightens and lifts you up at the same time – Jesus. His word. Read it. Sing it. No matter how dark the road or space you are in is, when we look to Jesus for guidance, help, strength, wisdom… we become clean, valued, unashamed! Spray the word of God all around you! The gnats of the enemy can’t help but go away! I am praying for you today! May the love of Jesus surround you and cover you SO much, that you can’t help but smile and be radiant today!




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