Matthew 9:27-29
28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they replied.
29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"
Not having sight is probably one of the most crippling of circumstances known to man. Sure, it's endurable and you can live through it, but still having sight limits a human. Every day we see things with shapes, colors, sizes, texture. We know what rain looks like, what trees look like, what a car looks like, we know what a lap top looks like. We can explain things because we see them, with our sight we are captivated by the beauty around us and we are saddened by some things we see. Because we see we experience things that some people who are blind could never see or ever discover.
When someone is blind they use other senses to make up for the loss of their sight. They rely on others to explain color, shape, size, and everything. For example if I were blind, I would rely on someone to describe something to me. If I wanted to know what a tree was like, I would blindly "visualize" it based on feeling and someone else's opinion. The only way I know what a tree would look like would be simply from the way I could perceive it. Forever that definition or explanation would determine my perception of a tree. That goes the same for every other object. The way I would perceive things would be limited. Forever that will be embedded in my mind and in my imagination. And where I don't know something, I form my own opinion and let logic take the place and explain something that I have never seen.
In our lives a lot of times we walk around with this same disability, spiritually. When we experience relationships with parents or others, even if it's not the best we take those experiences and define what a relationship is, what acceptance is, what love is, what care is, what trust is, what affection is..... and a lot of times because of the relationship we experienced in our flesh, we take that and let that define everything. Then when we enter into a relationship with God we take every self-learned definition and view God in the same way. Just like the blind, their definition of a tree may not be what a tree really looks like because they haven't actually been able to visually SEE it.
I know for me personally, things I have been through have defined the way that I have a relationship with God. Its hard for me to not see through failure, to not see through past hurts, or criticism. Because of this, it's like my sight is limited and I have a definition that is branded on my heart of the way I am and the way people are and the way He is. Thoughts and patterns of my life that limit me and are hard to "move or see" beyond. When for 21 years your life consists of the same patterns, issues, and thoughts, it's almost like it hinders your ability to see beyond and see the greater things. See who God is and who you really are... and every time you get close, your circumstantial definition attempts to trap you. When we don't understand things we take man-made logic and squeeze it into the questions we have, in order to have answers. Unfortunately we are full of carnal thinking, and the mind hinders our perception of things. Because of things we experienced, our own flaws, and our carnal/ logical thoughts we are blinded and cannot fully see the things of God, who is His and the NEW creation He has made us to be. It's just like we are blind and have our own view of things. Sight is hard to change. If you never saw the Nile river and had your view of it, then actually saw it, it would probably be different. Imagination is a dangerous place because we take things and fill it with notions or ideas. So we may be blind because of the way things have always been, the patterns and failures we have always had, the opinions of others, the junk we have been through, our preconceived ideas, but Faith asks us to See beyond.
By faith the blind men were made well. By faith we see God through the spirit and our eyes are opened to Who he really is and what He really has in store. without faith our sight is crippled, but with it, the "beyond" is able to be seen in truth. Our daily struggles are seen by eyes of truth. Faith has made us well. Faith helps us to believe when we can't see. bombarded by old ways of thinking, faith gives us the key to change the course of our thoughts, and have our thoughts become higher. For His ways are Higher than our ways and His thoughts are Higher than our thoughts... that's because God is the creator of every definition and His defining of things are sovereign and ultimately above everything we can imaging... Faith allows us to take part in His thoughts. Enough with our way of thinking, and more of His ways. No longer should blindness cripple, because He has given us Full sight, but Faith is the key, because without it.... ..we will forever and ever be limited. By Faith, By Faith, By faith.... that's what it takes.. that is how we see the truth of all things! I don't want to be like the Isreallites who wandered in the wilderness after Egypt because I fail to see. I don't want to run to Egypt because I am confined to my "blindness"! I want to walk in what is "beyond" and let my faith be on the Lord and not myself because He is everything I'm not! I can do nothing w/o faith.... it's my key to see! It let's me see the truth of God and His power! I'm not limited to me, but to everything He is, and who He is, has no limitations!
He alone can change all of my ways!
ReplyDeleteJesus, you help me see beyond!