Make sure that your vision is clear – what we see depends mainly on what we look for!

Cartoon courtesy of www.boldsfold.co.uk

There are two types of eyes in scripture: natural eyes or eyes of the flesh and spiritual eyes or eyes of the heart. The eyes of the heart are the place that we go to inside when we re-experience memorable events or fantasise about things.

What you let into your eyes will fill your heart. If you fill your eyes with things that you lust after, the eyes of your heart will be full of them, and you will dwell on them. You will also have a tendency to let the things that you value in your heart colour your interpretation of things.

In Luke 11:34 Jesus says “The lamp of your body is your eye; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you may not be darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it shall be wholly illuminated, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”

Things like hatred will cause our spiritual eyes to be darkened. “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” 1 John 2:9-11

What can also happen to us is that if we throw a cloak of secrecy around our hearts in an attempt to hide our sin from the Lord. Instead of hiding our sin, we can end up darkening our spiritual eyes. It is far better when we sin to confess our sin straight away. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned. We make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:9+10

“Pursue peace with all men and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14

In my life, I have found that moral compromise - allowing things I should not let into my sight, and allowing my imagination to dwell on unhelpful things has clouded my spiritual vision at times. It’s like the difference between a clear sunny day when you can see the horizon clearly from a beach and a grey foggy day when you can’t even see the end of the pier.

Job’s example where he says “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl” Job 31:1 is one we can fruitfully follow in all areas.

“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me in Your way.” Psalm 119:37

In Habakkuk it says of God “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and you can not look on wickedness with favour.” Hab 1:13 The Hebrew for ‘approve’ is raah (7200) and it means ‘to see’ ‘to look at’. That is the way God wants us to be, tempted but not giving sin a second look, and unable to tolerate evil, we cry out “Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Mt 6:10

Paul gives some very helpful advice in Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” This can includes meditating on Scripture, especially passages which have pictorial images and then allowing God to paint those pictures in our hearts.

When we do this it leads to Ephesians 1:18 being fulfilled “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.”

This enlightening of the eyes of our heart is normally a process, which God takes a believer through. As we give up our fleshy desires and ambitions God will restore our spiritual vision and the places where we are blind. It is with these spiritual eyes that we can behold angels, visions, trances and the third heaven.

Elisha illustrates the opening of the spiritual eyes when, surrounded by a seemingly overwhelming army he prays for his servant ‘“O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:17

This also happened to Balaam Numbers 24:2-4 “And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. He took up his discourse and said, ‘ The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, and the oracle of the man whose eye is opened; the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.’”

This opening of the spiritual eyes can be compared to standing in front of patterned glass which lets in light and shows vague shapes, and having it change into normal glass in front of your eyes, and suddenly being able to see detail clearly.

Ezekiel 1:1 “The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.”

Isaiah 6:1 “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.”

A good prayer to pray is the request that Moses made to God “I pray You, show me Your glory!” Exodus 33:18

Next
1. Introduction.
2. God's nature as creator and communicator.
3. The role of the Bible.
4. Turn aside when you notice something.
5. Be careful what you worship.
6. The Holy Spirit quickens things.
7. Hide and seek using parables.
8. Ask the Holy Spirit.
9. The inner room is where we meet with God.
10. The importance of peace and stillness.
11. Don't hurry God will speak.
12. Waiting and longing takes us higher to a place where God acts.
13. What price do we have to pay?
14. Holding a word for a time and part of the whole picture.
15. How do we know it's from God/Act in faith?
16. Jesus is open to persuasion!
17. The Language God uses to communicate.
18. God communicates through our sensory organs.
19. God communicates primarily to the heart.
20. God offends our mind to change our heart.
21. Listening depends on your heart attitude.
22. Circumcision is the cure to a hard heart!
23. Listen to your heart
24. Eyes.
25. Lift up your eyes.
26. Make sure your vision is clear.
27. Ears/hearing the voice of the Lord.
28. Reach for higher levels.
29. How God communicates - impressions.
30. Seeing with the eyes of your heart.
31. Visions.
32. Open visions.
33. Trances.
34. Signs.
35. Dreams.
36. Conclusion.
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