WHAT CAN YOU SEE
In our morning work-crew
meeting, we chattered about what one fellow saw when his ex-wife dumped him out
on “the strip” as she went shopping. It seems
that he and his brother ended up in a bar with a wet t-shirt contest ongoing. Everything was looking up, until somebody hit him
in the back of the head. He turned around
to see his wife and his brother’s girlfriend. Haha! Another
worker nervously said, “… maybe we should do our morning devotional?” The devotional was perfect -- "IN THE WORLD, NOT OF THE WORLD" (in Billy Graham's, Hope For Each Day, 03/01) Then, the boss called on me to lead prayer; and,
I asked Him to focus our minds on things above, and to help us see through the darkness
and distractions of this world.
As I staged parts for our upcoming outage, I began to think on
“seeing the invisible” and had to stop my forklift, find a scrap of packing paper,
and jot down my rambling thoughts. And later,
I find myself sitting here, filling out these thoughts.
The first thought was “eyes full of adultery…”?!
13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their
idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes,
reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14 With eyes full of
adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are
experts in greed—an accursed brood! 15 They have left the straight way and
wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of
wickedness. (2Pet.2 NIV)
How easy it is to be guilty
of this in our world – a world with internet porn, TV ads that just a step short
of soft porn, TV programs that glorify “hooking up” (or whatever the current word
is), dating patterns that are only one step above animal level, fashion directions
where less is best, … on and on it goes. Job made a vow with his eyes, not to go there.
Then, my thoughts turned to Eve, our mother, “And Eve saw that the fruit was …”
6
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing
to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate
it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the
eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so
they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. (Gen.3)
That is a mind-twister – her eyes were opened, and she lost focus,
all at once, beginning our blindness?! In
their introspective vision, lost was their innocence, their intimacy with the Creator,
their insight into what they lost. Darkness
fell over our world. The Light receded. Was the last time the pair saw their Creator, the
One who had walked with them in the cool of the garden?!
Next, I mused on the thought
of “Jesus healed blind man, in two
steps, “what can you see?” “trees
walking…”
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some
people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind
man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s
eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He
looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s
eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw
everything clearly. (Mark 8 NIV)
Jesus needs to work on
me, often more than once! He has begun a
good work, and He will complete his work. This is my certain hope. I will be like Him, one day! I will see everything clearly. I will not be confused, distracted, frustrated,
sidetracked. I will be “spit-polished”! The dark mirror will be free of all distortions.
I will reflect Him, perfectly!
The prayer that I want answered is that of
Paul – “eyes of heart enlightened…”
(Eph.1)
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord
Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks
for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your
heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he
has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and
his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the
mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated
him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (Eph.1 NIV)
What began with Eve picking
the fruit, can be overcome with the fruit of the Spirit. There is wisdom and revelation that will enable
us “to know him better.” Just rubbing our
eyes will not do it. Jesus must touch our
eyes. Ask Him. I want to see Him, the One who walked with them
in the Garden!
Other thoughts came to
mind, but, I will look into them, later … I need to rest my eyes for a while.
·
“if you
eye is dark, great is the darkness …” (Mt.6)
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your
whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,
your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is
darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mt.6 NIV)
·
“pure in heart will see God”?! (Mt.5)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
·
“… no man
has seen God, and lived…”
21 When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and
his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord.
22 “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!”
(Judges 13 NIV)
·
Blind men
of Sodom, stymied, groping about, in the darkness
1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting
in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed
down with his face to the ground. … all the men from every part of the city of
Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are
the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex
with them.”… 10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the
house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of
the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the
door.
·
“god of
this world has blinded them…”
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so
that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God. (2Cor.4)
·
“these
people will always be seeing, but not seeing, hearing but not understanding…”
Isa./Jesus “blessed are your eyes, for they see…”
10 The
disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He
replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has
been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they
will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be
taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though
seeing, they do not see;
though
hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is
fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ ‘You will
be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever
seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this
people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly
hear with their ears,
and they
have closed their eyes.
Otherwise
they might see with their eyes,
hear with
their ears,
understand
with their hearts
and turn, and
I would heal them.’
16 But blessed
are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For
truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you
see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
(Mt.13 NIV)
·
“seeing
Him who is invisible…” (Heb.11)
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son
of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of
God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace
for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because
he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the
king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By
faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer
of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. (Heb.11 NIV)
·
Song –
Amazing Grace, “… once was blind, but now I see…”
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I'm
found,
Was blind, but now I see.
·
Elisha
and servant
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the
next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no,
my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are
more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”
Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills
full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord,
“Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as
Elisha had asked. (2Kgs.6)
·
Saul of
Tarsus
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the
Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the
synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,
whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he
neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and
go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the
sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he
opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into
Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to
him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and
ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has
seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man
and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has
come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your
name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument
to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of
Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on
Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road
as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled
with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from
Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19and
after taking some food, he regained his strength. (Acts 9 NIV)
·
God’s
Vision
1. 12 For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 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. (Heb.4)
2. 17 “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the
heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too
hard for you. 18 You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the
parents’ sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God,
whose name is the Lord Almighty, 19 great are your purposes and mighty are your
deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each
person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve. (Jere.32)
·
SONGS
1. "I Can See
Clearly Now"
I can see clearly
now, the rain is gone,
I can see all the obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright
(bright) Sun-Shiny day.
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright
(bright) Sun-Shiny day.
I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright
(bright) Sun-Shiny day.
Look all around, there's nothin' but blue
skies
Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies.
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright
(bright) Sun-Shiny day.
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright
(bright) Sun-Shiny day...
