Clear Vision

Scripture: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)

Recently I've noticed a change in the eyesight in my left eye. It became so bothersome and noticeable that I finally went to see my eye doctor. What I discovered was nothing less than surprising.

I'm only 43, but I was told I have cataracts, and that's why my vision is noticeably blurry now. As time goes by, I can tell it gets worse by the week. I will have surgery soon to replace the lens. They will remove the old lens and replace it with a new one that will never deteriorate over time.
When I close my right eye, everything is blurry, distorted, sort of like looking through a lens with Vaseline smeared over it. Looking into the distance can be aggravating, as my eyes are trying to focus - my right eye over compensates for my blurry left eye. I'm glad I'm not prone to headaches. I can't wait for surgery!

I share this story because it makes me think of a few analogies regarding our walk with Christ.For instance, when we drift away from God, get away from the Word, go to church a little less, get sucked into the world and all it's trappings - our "vision" of God becomes clouded, distorted, unclear, sort of like what cataracts does to one's vision. When you don't stay connected to Christ, you forget Who He is! One can become susceptible to false teachings, and could slip into believing false things based on one's ignorance of the truth.

If I had to rely on my left eye to get around - what a scary thought, because fine details are impossible to see! Staying close to God is like that. Reading the bible, going to church, hanging out with other Christian friends, remaining in prayer ... all these things help you to "focus" on God's character, sharpen the "details" about Him.

Hebrews 11:1 reminds me of how we don't rely on God with our sight - we rely on our faith, and that is the hardest thing to explain to nonbelievers. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Fortunately, we don't need our eyes to see God because He's made His presence known in so many other ways. It is so amazing. Sometimes He uses other people in our lives to answer prayers they didn't even know about. Sometimes a series of events just "click" together to create an awesome outcome - too many events to call "coincidences". Then there's my favorite experience, when I can FEEL His presence in ways I can barely describe. I am certain of what I do not see. I'm certain of God's presence because of my own experiences, and what I've learned over the last 20 years of being a Christian.

So how clear is your vision? Do you see God clearly - or do you have a clouded view of Him? If you're unsure of the God you serve, crack open the bible, spend some time talking to Him - He'd love to hear from you. "Clear" your vision and get to know who He REALLY is.

Prayer: Lord, help us all to continue to draw closer to You no matter how busy life gets. Help us to get to know You better on a daily basis.Prayer request: For all those who feel distant from the Lord, that they can once again feel drawn back to Him.

Prayer request: For all those who feel distant from the Lord, that they can once again feel drawn back to Him and find Him in the many intangible ways He presents Himself to us.