Our pastor shared a very strong message recently on fallen eyesight and renewed spiritual eyesight. Upon reflection I would love to share these thoughts as well.
It began with Adam and Eve who traded their faith for a fake hope to become like God. In Genesis 3:4-7, “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 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. 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.
Yes, their eyes were opened indeed! But to their horror, they had been tricked by the snake. They didn’t become like God who is wise; instead they realised they were foolish enough not to recognise the truth of who God is. Apart from their glorious bodies, they saw their shame. They were naked as their glory left them. Their peaceful pure minds were corrupted with shame. So they wanted to cover up, and wrapped themselves with useless leaves that crumpled up and withered or rot away. They were exposed to humiliation instead of becoming like God. They knew what sin was through disobedience. They were alienated from God because sin could not allow them to come near to the Holy God. They drifted away from the loving God; they had to hide instead of coming closer to God. Fear overcame them and they dared not respond to God when He called for them.
From the above, we learn that disobedience and disbelief are fatal sins which alienated us from God. Once we drift away, fear always accompanies us each day as this world does not provide peace of the mind and soul. Everything pleasurable and good things like the fruit in Eden only brings temporary happiness. Our worldly eyesight only brings more pain and suffering.
Once we are not satisfied with what God has given and provided, temptation comes. God is God because He is “I am Who I am”, not a created being, but our Creator, who is also the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
Saul (later the Apostle Paul) also suffered from fallen eyesight. He saw himself as a very faithful Jews who was doing great service for God by killing and threatening the new converts to Christ’s way. His zealous acts were for his God. He loved God and wanted the best for God. He thought he was doing the right thing to please God. Until he met the resurrected Jesus and was blinded by Jesus’ dazzling light, he did not know he was wrong. For three days he was blind and reflected on what Jesus had told him. When he repented, Jesus asked Ananias to pray for him. Ananias also had fallen eyesight for he feared the man who had done much harm to the Christians; he really hesitated to do such a favor that God tasked him with. Ananias didn’t understand what plans God had in mind for a murderer like Saul.
Jesus renewed their eyesight in different ways. Jesus told Ananias that he had chosen Saul to serve him, to make his name known to the Gentiles and to kings and the people of Israel. Ananias obeyed and his faith returned. Saul asked Jesus what he had to do and Jesus told him that he would receive further instructions on what to do. When Ananias prayed over the converted Saul, scales fell from Paul’s eyes and his life changed. He realized that loving God was all about doing what God wanted. He had a renewed love for God and His people. Paul became willing to die for Jesus, the name he had refuted before.
Learning to see life from the perspective of God is growing to have the heart of Jesus, and to know His will! We are not to be like God, but we are to live out the glory of God. We are happy to be God’s children, sustained by His grace and love. We are not working for God; we are doing what He wants us to do. We are saved by God’s saving grace, not by our own hard work. Joy and contentment comes from obedience to God, not second guessing or overriding His command. Going overboard according to our own wishes only brings destruction and sorrow. Nothing goes well with disobedience!
So RENEW OUR INSIGHT, CHANGE OUR HABITS, ADJUST OUR TEMPERAMENT, AND MODIFY OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR DAILY LIVING so that our new spiritual eyesight would help us see again the glory of God in us.
The Holy power of God to raise the Lord Jesus from the dead has the power to restore our distorted view of life.
Surrender once again to God and receive such blessings so as to be a blessing to others! AMEN.
Chris of tawau