There’s a well-known story of three blind men who encountered an elephant. Each touched a different part of the animal and tried to describe what it was, based only on what they felt.
One man touched the leg and said the elephant was like a tree. Another felt the trunk and described it as a snake. The third touched the side and concluded it was like a wall. Each was convinced that his perception was the complete truth, and they argued, unable to reconcile their different views.
But we know the truth, none of them had the full picture. A limited perspective shaped their conclusions.
In Jeremiah 1:11-12, we see a similar theme:
“11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
12 Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.” — Jeremiah 1:11–12
God asked Jeremiah what he saw, and affirmed that Jeremiah had seen rightly. That tells us something powerful: seeing rightly matters. If God were to ask us that same question today — What do you see? — How would we respond? Would we describe an elephant as a yam, completely misinterpreting the moment?
This is often the case when we don’t live through the lens of the Word. The Word of God is our light, our lens, and our guide. It gives us the right interpretation of life, purpose, and identity. No wonder Paul said in Acts
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” — Acts 20:32
Without the Word, we see only in part. We limit our vision. We settle for small things while God is calling us into greater. Our culture, upbringing, and environment often cloud our view, just like the Israelites who, despite witnessing God’s miracles, could not see beyond Egypt. They preferred the familiarity of slavery to the promise of freedom.
That’s why one of the first things the Holy Spirit does in the life of a believer is remove the veil — the veil of sin, unbelief, and darkness — so that we can begin to see as God sees.
Today, God is asking you a question: What do you see?
Are you seeing through the full light of the Word, or are you responding from a mixed lens, shaped by culture, fear, or circumstance?
Let’s choose to see through the lens of truth. Let’s see rightly.
Have a blessed week.
Pastor Mayowa Oladunjoye.
Push Buttons is a weekly devotional of The PowerPoint Tribe.