Spiritual Vision - See what God Sees - Seek Farsightedness

During our series on Spiritual Vision – See what God Sees, we have noted that to see what God sees, we need to avoid blindness and nearsightedness. This week we address farsighted spiritual vision.

Physically, farsighted people have difficulty seeing things near or close to them. Spiritually, farsightedness is something God grants as we spend time with Him. As we pray and seek His presence, we gain insight into His foresight. David voiced this well in Psalm 119:18, “Uncover my eyes so I can gaze at marvelous things out of your law!”. Once our eyes are uncovered, our life is filled with heavenly purpose and drive.

2 Kings chapter six shares the story of the farsighted prophet Elisha being pursued by the king of Aram. The king of Aram was at war with Israel and sent his men to surround the city where Elisha was staying. His servant looked out and saw the enemy’s horses and chariots. In great fear, they asked, “What shall we do?”

Often times, we ask the same question when we see or sense seemingly unbeatable odds. Our marriage, our jobs, our budget can all be under attack and we wonder, what shall we do?

Elisha provides the answer in verse 16. He gives us all a timeless word. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Those with us are more than those who are with them”. He then prayed that the spiritual eyes of his servant open and see the host of God’s army surrounding the enemy. The enemy was confounded and defeated because “Those with us (God-the Father, Jesus-the Son and the Holy Spirit)” are more than Satan can handle. We have the opportunity to pray Elisha’s prayer over our circumstances as well and ask God to open our eyes to see him at work in our lives.

Physically, eyes that focus on the distant view never develop eye trouble. Eye trouble develops from focusing on the close-up things too much. Our eyes can develop severe eyestrain from doing too much nearsighted work for too long. Spiritually, the principle works the same way. Spiritual vision that focuses on the distant view as we pray and seek God’s will always stays strong.

As we begin to focus upon God, the things of the spirit will take shape within our spiritual vision. Obedience to the word of Christ will bring an inward revelation of the Trinity who is always with us (John 14:21-23). As our heart purifies, we will be blessed to see God (Matthew 5:8 ). As we study and take refuge in him, we will taste and see that the LORD is good. Safe and secure in Him, we will be full of light as He is “The Light”. As our faculties grow sharper, we will begin to catch a glimpse of His Glory. We will be able to see more of what He sees with our spiritual vision.

A story about Michelangelo helps us understand how this vision might work on in our lives. Someone asked the great painter and sculptor how he was able to create such masterful statues. He answered, “I am not sure how it works exactly – but I am able to see the vision of the beautiful statue in the marble even before it is extracted from the rock quarry. You see, once I catch the vision, the rest is very simple – I just chip away what does not belong.” [Wired to Work, D’Acchioli, Vince]

As we chip away at what does not belong, God will open our eyes and let us become more farsighted. Let us learn to see the caterpillar but perceive the butterfly within in every situation we face today and this year.

Questions:

1. Discover – How do you approach situations that look to be overwhelming? How do you handle it and how does that approach work?

2. Develop – Are there parts of my life that you are “farsighted” and trust God more? If so, how did you develop that faith and trust? Can you apply it to other areas of your life?

3. Demonstrate – Pick one of the areas noted in “develop” and meditate on it with God. Ask that He open your eyes to see what Elisha saw when he said “Don’t be afraid, those with us are more than those who are with them”.

Like this: