This week I read a short story about Charles Spurgeon and his wife. They had some chickens and often sold some of the eggs from these chickens. They would sell, but never gave any away. Even their close relatives were told, "You may have them if you pay for them." So, some people labeled the Surgeons as greedy and grasping. They continued to accept the criticisms without defending themselves, and only after Mrs. Spurgeon died was the full story revealed. All the profits from the sale of eggs went to support two elderly widows. Because the Spurgeon’s were unwilling to let their left hand know what the right hand was doing (Matthew 6:3), they endured the attacks in silence. Their actions for the widows were invisible to the other Spurgeon relatives. Invisible but still very real.
I recently finished some radiation treatments for cancer. Day after day the treatment was invisible to me. I wondered if it was actually doing anything. I had been warned of burns and blisters, but it seemed as if nothing had happened to me. How could I know that the treatments were successful? I am not a doctor with all the knowledge of how the machines work and I don't have the knowledge of how he knows where to aim the beams of radiation. But to be honest, he could not look at me and tell me that it had all worked! Even though I had to lay in the exact same place and position for every treatment, it still seemed to me a very much by chance that the beams of radiation were going exactly where they were supposed to go. And there was no burn, no blisters. So I asked the doctor about that! He just smiled and said the burn might still happen! I was full of doubt about that! But! Two weeks exactly, after the final treatment, I woke up in the middle of the night wondering what was causing a patch of skin to be so sore. It kept me awake for quite a while being so very sore. The next morning was a Sabbath morning, and I had to take a look at that sore place! Oh my, a brown colored burn and blisters! I immediately knew what was causing my sore place. The invisible radiation was now visible with burns and blisters.
This time of year, the crickets have reached maturity and their chirping ability is loud and sometimes frustrating. The crickets themselves often seem invisible because their singing chips can be heard but most of the time you cannot find the source of the chirp. The cricket itself is mostly invisible to the listener and the chirp seems to come from almost any place in the room but never where you can find that little insect.
This week we were waiting for a delivery of something we had ordered. With our farm situation, the delivery drivers often leave everyone's packages at the middle house, and we all know where to go to get our individual package that had been delivered. This time we had a tracking number, and I received a message that my package had been delivered! So, off to the middle house Garry went to retrieve our delivered item. No package! The search began. Sometimes packages get placed in unusual places by inexperienced drivers. We checked back doors and decks and asked if anyone had seen a package. The email assured me it was delivered and told me DHL had delivered at 9:26AM on Sabbath. Hmmmm! I finally virtually called/messaged the company for a virtual answer person! Virtual person informed me that USPS had delivered the package! So much invisibleness! Invisible package, invisible delivery, invisible virtual answer person but when we actually looked in the mailbox, the invisible became visible!
My husband has an invisible visible problem, too! He often wants something that should be visible to him but has become invisible. He can search and search and search—mostly for tools but the visible remains invisible. This week one of his favorite walking sticks became lost—invisible! Invisible to him. His sticks are an important accessory for him to aid his balance when walking. After much searching and I expect many prayers from him, tonight he suddenly looked in the right direction and the long time very invisible stick was right there, suddenly visible, very much in a place that we have walked by many times a day in the last week!
Many people are acquainted with tiny invisible no-see-um bugs and chiggers. Now, they aren't exactly invisible, but most people don't see them! They just see the results of the invisible tiny bug that was biting you. And then you itch and itch and itch! The results are not invisible! You are drawn to the place of the bite of the invisible tiny bug. The invisible unnoticeable has been made visible!
This week I received some magazines to see if I wanted them. In browsing through one of them I came across an article on invisible birds. They have the art of camouflage perfected. The bittern stands so still and so vertical that he is very hidden and you cannot see him in tall reeds. A snowy owl in the snow is virtually invisible. So are Ptarmigans as they take on seasonal colors. They are hard to spot in any season. A great horned owl places himself in a tree to blend in and become invisible to what he wants to hunt. When I turn on my phone, the first picture I see is of a very hidden owl sitting on a branch and with a tree trunk behind him that keeps the owl invisible. I put the picture there as it is one I really like. I like the visible invisibleness! Other birds that can make themselves invisible are Brown Creepers, Nightjars, and Woodcocks. No wonder these birds don't show up in many people's bird lists. They too are visible but invisible birds, created that way by God for their protection.
This kind of wacky exploration of the invisible things that make up the human experience perhaps encourages us to look past the visible and connect with the things that are not seen. If we could put on a pair of magical invisible glasses and see all the feelings, ideas, and other invisible things that populate our world, what would they look like? Could you see an itch? An itch that does not have a visible cause that makes a hive like visible bump remains invisible but has a visible need to scratch—scratch that invisible illusive place. Could you describe hope? Not me! Though I think it is related to faith and trust. They, too, are invisible but we want to have them!
From the sound of a dog barking to the rainbow-magic taste of a lollipop, from gratitude to grit, these are many interesting sensations that follow you every day, even if you can't see them . Explore the way a sad song can sometimes make you happy and discover that laughs—even fake ones—can multiply faster than you'd imagine. We can give these unknown forces a name, and they are a gentle invitation to pause, take a deep breath, and reflect on the invisible things at work in our own lives.
Here are a few more invisible examples! The electromagnetic spectrum: The visible light spectrum is just a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Other parts of the spectrum, such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays, are invisible to the human eye but we need them in today’s modern world. Living organisms which are invisible to the naked eye are called microorganisms. Microorganisms are too small to be seen. They can be seen only through a device known as a microscope. Yet these tiny almost invisible things are some of the most important things that God has created in our visible world.
We have an invisible God! But He makes Himself visible by what He does for us.
So, what does it mean that God is invisible? A simple Google search had some good thoughts. The Bible shows the invisibility of God in three separate places in the New Testament. The original Greek word (aoratos) can be translated as “invisible” or “unseen.” It describes something that has no visible form. The Bible is filled with many visions and manifestations of God’s glory and presence. These are not contradictions to this truth. God is spirit and without physical form by nature. However, He is capable of showing a visible representation when it suits His purposes. The teaching of the New Testament is not that God is unable to have visible forms which are capable of being seen. Instead, these statements are a declaration that these manifestations are not God but are merely representations of His presence and glory. For example, when God manifested His presence as a pillar of cloud and fire while leading His people through the wilderness, it would be a mistake to think that God was the pillar of cloud and/or fire. These visible things were not God. God is without form and is invisible. It is important to understand this because human beings often want a visual representation. This is one reason why idols are so prevalent. By creating a form, we have an object that we can seem to direct our worship toward. The true and living God is without visible form and God commands His people to make no image or likeness to worship (Exodus 20:4–6; Deuteronomy 5:8–10). God Himself provided the only likeness that is suitable: Jesus the Christ. A verse comes to mind about our invisible God. Romans 1:20 NKJV: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. New Living Translation: For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.”
The most valuable things in life will never be seen with the naked eye: love, friendship, hope, integrity, trust, compassion, faith, empathy. These things may be invisible, but they bring real substance, fulfillment, meaning, and joy to our lives.
Too often, unfortunately, we spend our time and energy chasing things that are visible: beautiful homes, fast cars, larger paychecks, more fashionable clothing, or newer technology. Bring the invisible into better focus. Unfortunately, the old cliché is often true, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
Turn it around and use it to your advantage. What comes into your mind when you think about joy, hope, relationships, or significance? Maybe I should post that quote somewhere so that I can see it each day and use it to remind me of its value. This could help keep the invisible visible in my mind.
You cannot see a soul, yet it exists. We are made of body and soul, and our spiritual soul is invisible. God made the angels. We cannot see them either, but they are constantly around us. Angels sometimes appear visible to a few privileged people.
There are other things you can't see with your eyes! There are pathogens on our bodies. I have experienced a pathogen that I never got to see. It was totally invisible, yet the pathogen that caused the norovirus had a very visible effect and result that made me and my family very sick. No one can actually see UV/Infrared light without an instrument that can detect them. Yet the invisible has an effect that is very visible, and we are continually cautioned to be aware of what can happen. Black Holes are totally invisible. I don't understand them no matter how many explanations I have had. Yet scientists are totally convinced they exist! Gravity is the force that attracts objects towards each other. It is invisible but we see that it exists when we fall and land on the floor or ground. Air is absolutely invisible unless it is polluted. Air is a mixture of gases that are essential for breathing and the existence of life. Although we cannot see air, we can feel its presence through movement (wind) and its effects on objects. We cannot live without it but hidden within this invisible thing we call air is the oxygen we cannot live without! And at the same time, there are highly poisonous invisible components that can and will kill you such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), phosgene, and hydrogen fluoride. They are invisible and all around us, yet deadly. They are like Satan! He is here around us, yet invisible. What he does becomes very visible when we see the results of sin. We need this invisible air thing. Just as we need God to help us live, yet both Air and God are so invisible to us. We can't physically see our spinning here on earth while we are living every day on its surface! Astronauts can see its spinning easier than we can. Other things spin that are also invisible. Everything around us is made of atoms and molecules with electrons spinning around a nucleus. It boggles my mind to know that there are constantly spinning invisible atoms in things that feel perfectly solid such as a table! Invisible and visible happening at the same time and place! Radiation was entirely invisible to me, and I almost wanted to doubt its existence. God is invisible to me, but I do not want to doubt His existence!
What wonderful invisible things has God created for us!
Again, Romans 1:20 ESV For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Paul doesn’t limit God’s creative work simply to the things that are seen. God is the Creator of all things, even the things we cannot see.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16) Paul is making this statement about Jesus the Christ and referring to Him as the Creator. This claim is astonishing on its own. Immediately before this, Paul makes an even more amazing statement in Colossians 1:15, which is the one of three verses affirming the invisibility of God. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (KJV)—while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The most valuable things in life will never be seen with the naked eye: love, friendship, hope, integrity, trust, compassion, faith, empathy. These pursuits may be invisible, but they bring real substance, fulfillment, meaning, and joy to our lives.
Likewise, we don't see sound, but we hear it and through this experience we believe it exists. There are intangible things too, like love and joy, that cannot be discovered with our physical senses, nevertheless we believe in them by experiencing their power.
The definition of invisible is— in the sense of unseen, not able to be seen by the eye as in: The lines were so fine as to be nearly invisible. Synonyms are unseen, imperceptible, indiscernible, unseeable, unperceivable. They all remind me of God! It takes faith to see the Invisible!
Waiting for the day when God becomes Visible!