Sight – Tues 3rd July 07

I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Psalm 139:14

What a fantastic gift and so often taken for granted! We can wonder at the majesty of the mountains and the detail of a snowflake. We can stand open-mouthed at the magnificence of a rainbow or the extravagance of an autumn sunset. We can treasure the smiles and laughter of our friends and marvel at the detail of a baby’s fingers and toes.

Yet so few of us are blessed with perfect vision. I was born with a lazy eye which was corrected in my early years. Like many people I’m short-sighted, so need to wear glasses or contact lens in order to sharpen distant images. Maybe some of you braver souls have had laser treatment!

When Jesus was on earth He received many requests from blind people for the restoration of their sight. He restored the sight of Bartimaeus, and the man in John 9 who was born blind. Powerful, miraculous ministry!

There is also the story in Mark 8:22-26 where Jesus healed a blind man in two stages. Stage one resulted in the man “seeing men that look like trees”. Stage two resulted in clear vision. I can identify with stage one when I haven’t got my lenses in!!

I don’t have any insight into Jesus’ approach in Mark: 8, but I do know that He is concerned for the spiritual eyesight of His people. How often our thinking/theology is blurred and confused because we just can’t see/understand. How often our praying is vague and ineffective because we just can’t see the will of God. How often our counselling is wide of the mark because we haven’t seen the heart of the problem. One of the devil’s prime strategies is to divert God’s people and weary them with fruitless counselling.

In the Old Testament Samuel was a prophet but was known as a seer - one who could see beyond appearance and into the heart. In Proverbs we’re exhorted to search for insight, discernment and understanding. In Ephesians 1:18 Paul prays that the eyes of our hearts may be opened.

A final thought for today:

Gullibility is not a fruit of the Spirit!!