Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. Luke 11:35 NLT
Wow…This is quite a statement. The NIV version says: See to it then, that the light within you is not darkness. Our natural eye lets in light. God created our natural eyes to to take in light. That light is then focused by the cornea and the lens, which in turn is detected by sensors in the retina which sends nerve impulses to the brain. Our brain is wired in such a way that it interprets what all that means and we comprehend what we are looking at is a delicious cookie!
It is quite a gift He has given us–the gift of sight. Your eye is the lamp of your body (Luke 11:34 NIV). As I have gotten older, my eyesight has changed. I need prescription glasses to see both near and far. Soon I will need cataract surgery. It’s part of aging. But the good news is with adaptions I can still see to go about my life. Because of my glasses, I can drive safely, read warning labels on my medications and enjoy God’s creation. Vision is a gift from the Lord we should never take for granted. However, there are warnings embedded in these verses we need to heed.
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Luke 11:33-35.NIV. When we receive Jesus, the Light, our eyes are opened and the light comes in. We see things in new ways. Our perception shifts and we truly “see” for the first time. The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130. ESV Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105. These two verses are so true, but only if we allow the Word of God to enter our hearts.
The truth is where your eye looks, it is where you go. Trying riding a bike and look to the left–you will naturally drift to the left. It is the same with our spiritual walk. If we do not keep our eyes focused on Jesus and His ways, we will drift away from Him. Our eye must be single, not focused on the ways and things of this world. Too many Christians today try to live with one eye on Jesus and the other eye on the ways of the world. We can try to fool ourselves, but our vision will begin to be polluted-thus partial blind. However, Jesus is very clear that either we will be full of light or dark. The Bible Commentary uses the term: there is no twilight Christians. In other words we will not be able to see clearly. We may think we are, but it takes the Holy Spirit to interpret correctly what we see.
A few weeks ago I attended a Home Connection Talent Show. My granddaughter was on the program to sing one of her original songs. This program opened with the students from the tumbling class. As I watched I became bored and critical. Watching children performing similar variations on the forward roll became monotonous.I wanted the program to move on so I could hear my granddaughter. I started timing this act. Then very quietly, I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me. He said, “Look at the students. Really look at them”. My vision shifted and I began to see that most of these students would never be able to be on a stage, performing for their loved ones if they did not have this opportunity. It stopped being about me, and began to be about them. My friends, when our eyes are not focused on Jesus and His ways, we will often misinterpret what we should be seeing. Like me, your world vision may become critical, negative and harmful. Words of doubt and unbelief will flow from your heart, because is what you are seeing. Definitely and “unhealthy eye”. The only way we can keep clear vision is if we allow the Word of God to enter our hearts and illuminate all the dark corners. The truth of God’s Word can only set us free if we know it, trust it and walk in it. Developing faith eyes is the best way to walk through the valleys and mountains of life, my friends. Please stay in the Word…all of it. Take the time to read and study the convicting parts as well as the uplifting parts. It is the only way to develop healthy God vision.
Father, please help us develop healthy eyes. We want to see how you see. Forgive us for trying to develop dual vision. You are the Light that we need. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Faith Encounters 