It's interesting how as you mature you become increasingly aware of sight, or lack of it. I used to have to wear glasses only for reading tiny print. Now I need two pairs of glasses: one for the computer and I have bifocals that are for reading and distance. I am far-sighted and I tend to miss something that is right under my nose! We can all identify with natural sight but God wants to give us spiritual sight.
In the natural, there is so much to see and a lot of it is very negative, especially if you watch the news or social media. It's easy to become discouraged and fearful when we see so many deeds of darkness happening around us. Many have suffered great losses. Many have become weary. Many have become discouraged. Some may even want to give up, but we must never give up on the promise. You are not here on accident. God has a book written about you in Heaven. See Psalm 139:16. All His promises are yes and amen and they are not dependent on what is happening in the world around you. His promises are not annulled because of a virus. His promises are not annulled because of the limitations of man that may be put on you, and even those of government. His promises and His goodness are not limited by what goes on socially or even economically if you would see and believe. Read about the four lepers who came upon the camp of the Syrians in 2 Kings 7. Read about the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17. It's easy to see where we may have missed it. It's easy to see the limitations both around us and within us. It's easy to see the battle that is all around us. Can you see beyond the battle? Can you see beyond all the darkness? Can you see God's goodness? Can you see His promises being fulfilled in your life? What do you see?
In Psalm 27 David says The Lord is my light and salvation. Whom shall I fear? The word light speaks of illumination in the Hebrew text. It means bright, clear. It can speak of the morning. What comes before morning? The dark of night. In the midst of darkness, God wants to illuminate our eyes. Illuminate means to supply or brighten with light, to shine on something. In what looks like darkness all around, God wants to bring illumination to you. The Lord is my salvation. His salvation is not dependent on circumstances or on what is going on in the world. In verse 4 of Psalm 27, David says this: One thing that I have asked of the Lord, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Verse 8: You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek. In verse 11 David says, teach me your way Oh Lord, and lead me on a level path...That should be the daily cry of our hearts, to Seek His face and to be led by Him. In verse 13 David says this: I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living! Do you believe that or are you waiting for Jesus to come back in the world's largest rescue mission ever? Ephesians 5 tells us that Jesus will present the church to Himself in splendor. That doesn't sound like a rescue mission to me. I believe He is coming back for a victorious bride. Can you see yourself as presented to Him in splendor or do you see yourself as defeated? Don't look at the negative happening around you. Open your spiritual eyes. What do you see?
I love the story of Abraham and Issac. There is so much in the passage of Genesis 22. I used to wonder why God would ever require Abraham to sacrifice his own son but now I see that chapter so differently. God tested and proved Abraham but Abraham looked and saw. God told Abraham to "take your only son Issac, the only son you love". Issac was the only son of promise. God had made a covenant with Abraham. He would make Abraham's descendants like the stars of the heavens & like the sand on the seashore and in Abraham's seed, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Abraham was an old man when he received this promise from God. Now God asked him to offer the son he loved, the means through which this promise, the covenant was to be fulfilled, a sacrifice. Abraham rose and took two servants and Issac with him. On the third day, Abraham looked and saw the place in the distance. What did he see?
Using his physical sight, it looked like the end of the promise. If we read this passage with our physical sight that is the conclusion we would come to before reading the end. But Abraham looked and saw something else. He saw the provision. He saw the lamb and not just the ram caught in the thicket. He saw the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He saw the provision not just for himself, but for all mankind. Bear with me here and see the prophetic picture unfold with your spiritual eyes.
Abraham told his servants "Settle down and stay here with the donkey, and I and the young man (Issac) will go yonder and worship and come again to you." Did you catch that? They had journeyed 3 days when Abraham looked and saw the place from a distance. Now Abraham speaks prophetically that both he and Issac would return. Abraham then takes the wood for the burnt offering and lays it upon the shoulders of Issac and Issac carries it from that point. This is a picture of Jesus carrying the cross. When they reach the destination on Mt. Moriah, Issac asks his father where the lamb is. Abraham replies that "God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering". We know the rest of the story of how when Abraham stretched out his hand to bring forth the knife, an angel of the Lord stopped him. Abraham looked up and glanced around and saw a ram caught in the thicket and offered that ram as the sacrifice. Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will provide.
It's easy to see that Issac is a prophetic picture of Christ. I believe also that Abraham is a prophetic picture of the Father who gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16. Abraham trusted and was obedient. Because he saw the promise in the distance, he could confidently do what God was requiring Him to do. For twice he spoke prophetically: once that he and Issac would return and he told Issac that the Lord himself will provide the lamb. What if Abraham was not obedient? Would He have still been the father of many nations? It was after Abraham's obedience that God reaffirmed the covenant with him, that through his seed the nations of the earth would be blessed. it's interesting to know that some scholars believe that Mt. Moriah, the place where Abraham did not withhold his only son of promise is the same place where Christ was crucified. In fact, David had purchased a threshing floor on Mt. Moriah and that is where the temple was built. God always does more than what we can ask or even imagine!
In John 8:52-59 Jesus said "Your father Abraham greatly rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was delighted." How was Abraham able to see? Abraham walked with God. Abraham knew God. Abraham saw what God saw. When you walk with someone you know them. It's important in this day and age that we live in that we too walk with God. We must walk so close with Him that we see what He sees and hears what He hears. Have you ever had someone spot something in the distance, perhaps a bird in a tree and you are unable to see it no matter how hard you try? Then, that person tells you "Come and stand here where I am standing" and from their vantage point, you are able to see what they see. We have to walk close enough to God that we are seeing from His vantage point. Remember we are seated with Christ in Heavenly places. When we see what is immediately in front of us we can become overwhelmed but when we see from God's vantage point when we see what He sees, we will see a completely different picture! Like Abraham, we too must see the promise no matter what it looks like in the physical realm. We too must walk with God.
Mark 8:22-25 tells of Jesus healing the blind man from Bethsaida. And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Maybe you are so discouraged and overwhelmed by life that you are having trouble seeing past it all. Ask Jesus to give you spiritual sight.
Maybe you feel completely surrounded by the enemy. Don't believe his lies! There is always more going on in the spiritual realm that we don't see. God is always working behind the scenes. In 2 Kings 6:15-17, the servant of Elisha was greatly discouraged when they became surrounded by the enemy. When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Elisha prayed not only that his servant's eyes would open but that the eyes of the enemy would be blinded, then he led them away from the city.
The Lord is your light and your salvation! Seek Him. Walk with Him. Ask Him to lead you and guide you. Believe that you will see the goodness of God in the land of the living, and ask Him to give you sight!
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