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The Eyes Have It

by Alan Allegra  
5/13/2009 / Devotionals

Those of us who have pets recently observed National Pet Week. A friend of mine who doesn't own pets observed, "Administrative professionals, mothers, fathers, veterans, and even presidents have only one day of recognition. Why is it that pets get an entire week?" Maybe because there are more of them than there are of us.

Some causes merit an entire month. June celebrations include National Candy Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, National Iced Tea Month, Zoo and Aquarium Month, and National Pest Control Month. Take your pick. Among the more serious are Vision Research Month, Fireworks Safety Month, and Light the Night for Sight Month. These caught my eye, so to speak, because all three are sponsored by Prevent Blindness America.

Preventing blindness is a noble cause. My life has been touched by blind and nearly blind people for many years. It is a fearful affliction that can often be prevented or cured.

Visually handicapped persons are unable to see things clearly, if at all. They can easily stumble about life, unable to discern obstacles in their path. The same is true in the spiritual realm.

The Apostle Paul prayed "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Ephesians 1:17-19). He wants us to see the wisdom and truth revealed in Christ, the hope given to believers, the wealth that awaits us, and His power, the power that raised Christ from the dead (vv. 20-23).

If your spiritual eyes are not open to the truth of Jesus Christ, you can have no wisdom, spiritual knowledge, hope, glory or power. Lack of spiritual insight causes spiritual nearsightedness - you cannot see ahead to eternity.

As we get older, we refuse to believe that we are losing our senses. It can be a struggle to admit that we need new glasses; we think we can see well enough. The religious leaders of Jesus' day thought they could see well enough spiritually to navigate their way to eternal life. Note their conversation: "And Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.' Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, 'Are we blind also?' Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, "We see." Therefore your sin remains'" (John 9:39-41). They thought they were religious enough and able to understand spiritual things, but Jesus showed them that their sin was worse because they thought they were good enough to please God.

When we say animals like bunnies are born blind, we mean they have their eyes closed. People are the same way spiritually. In order to see, we must be born again, born from above. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Before salvation, we are those "whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Spiritual blindness is 100% curable. All we have to do is open our eyes.

Alan is editor of Lifestyles Over 50 (Thrive Media) and contributor to the Allentown, PA, Morning Call. He is also an adult Sunday school teacher and Bible study leader. Passionate about reviving theology and church methodology, and being a senior citizen!

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