Open the Eyes of My Heart

Last night I was praying and studying and a message began to develop for our weekend home to Montana next weekend, “Seeing is Believing”. It’s based upon Ephesians 1:17-20 which reads:

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. I pray also 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 the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.

Without having a clear vision of our Lord, we may never know the path and plan He has laid out for us to follow. I love this little cartoon picture depicting the man who can’t see Jesus, despite standing right next to Him. His telescope was blocking his view of the Lord and he mistakenly thought Jesus was too far away. How often do we think that God is not near us, keeping us safe, comforting us, and loving us? How can we believe in God if we cannot see Him working in our life?

Many obstacles will try to get in front of our line of vision to God. Finances, work stress, homework, illness, relationship problems—the list goes on and on. Perhaps, we as humans can get in the way as well. How often do we rely on our own strength and knowledge instead of on the power of God? Pride and selfishness will often try to keep us from saying, “Yes Lord, I DO need You.”  We can’t do anything on our own. The flesh and sin are rampant throughout the world. In order to believe that God can and will provide us with victory over our trials in this life, we need to make sure we can see HIM at all times. We may not see God physically through a burning bush or appear to us as He did to Mary and the other women outside the tomb, but we can still know joy and His reflection in the miracle of His creation and through His people. Through the birds, vegetation, seas, and warm touch or hug of a neighbor, God is real. He is always there for us and wants to comfort and love us. Have faith and let Him!

1 Peter 1:8, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”

How do we go about ‘standing firm’ in our faith?

Titus 1:9, “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. “

Maybe some of you have seen this bumper sticker recently. It looks sort of neat, has a nice feeling about it, but what is the underlying thought behind it? Some think that it is implying that all roads lead to heaven. Yes, we are called to love our neighbors and live in peace, forgiving one another. Coexisting in this world with others who don’t think, look, or act like we do is a reality and something that should take place without the hatred, bigotry, or stigmatism that is popularized by statements and actions of a few on different sides of the religious poles.

In the gospel of John, chapter4, Jesus and the Samaritan woman show us that people of different backgrounds and beliefs are able to interact and have a life-changing conversation, without condemnation. Despite knowing everything in the past of the woman at the well, Jesus did not get angry or upset or throw any harsh feelings or words at her. If we are to live as Christians, we need to be aware that our walk and talk should reflect that of Christ’s. We should exemplify the fruit of the Spirit when interacting and sharing our faith: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Relativism is on the upward trend and it would be nice to not have any wrong opinions ever. But we need to tread cautiously; we do believe there is only one way to the Father, through the Son. Yet how we say it and spread it can dramatically impact the reaction we get when we are talking to someone such as the Samaritan Woman. According to Barna research, only 9% of American adults have a biblical worldview. Our message is not always a welcome one. Sometimes it may not even be so much as an audible one—we can share our faith and love for Christ by how we live. Gal 5:25-26, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”