Corinthians 4 says:
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We have to guard against spiritual blindness - we have been brought into the light of Christ, and if we're not walking in that light, allowing the illumination of His Spirit to guide us, our eyes can easily turn aside to a pursuit of the pleasure of this world rather than delighting in the Lord, as Psalm 37 encourages us. The enemy would get us off track by providing barriers to following in Christ's ways, and we have to make sure that we are wholeheartedly seeking Him.
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The Bible cautions us against looking to the world for satisfaction; instead, we are encouraged to see through spiritual eyes to what God has in store for us. 1st John 2 says this:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Have you had a some sort of material float into your eye and you struggle to get it out? It can be irritating and frustrating if your rubbing and maneuvering doesn't quite get it out. Or, your course of action may involve eye drops. That was the choice of a Florida woman named Katherine Gaydos who had a piece of debris that flew into her eye while a friend was using a leaf blower, according to a story on the UPI website.
But, after the initial television report, another doctor at the same office contacted her and was able to pry her eye open. She said, "He put Lidocaine above and below my eye and just pulled on it until it finally opened." He did not request payment. The prognosis was that there should not be any permanent damage.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Have you had a some sort of material float into your eye and you struggle to get it out? It can be irritating and frustrating if your rubbing and maneuvering doesn't quite get it out. Or, your course of action may involve eye drops. That was the choice of a Florida woman named Katherine Gaydos who had a piece of debris that flew into her eye while a friend was using a leaf blower, according to a story on the UPI website.
The story says she told WPBF-TV: "Something blew into my eye and I screamed for someone else to get eye drops out of my purse..." Unfortunately, that person brought the wrong liquid - it was super glue instead. She said, "As soon as I felt it in my eye I felt it burn and I closed my eye and screamed 'Call 911.'"
She said her doctor gave her antibiotic salve and ointment, but refused to attempt to do surgery to open her eye or give further treatment unless she made a payment. Gaydos said she does not have a job, no insurance, and no money.
She said her doctor gave her antibiotic salve and ointment, but refused to attempt to do surgery to open her eye or give further treatment unless she made a payment. Gaydos said she does not have a job, no insurance, and no money.
The UPI article quoted Dr. Pankaj Gupta of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, who said that the situation would have resolved itself over time if Gaydos had not received treatment. The article says he told ABC News: "The first thing I think everyone needs to know is don't panic." He said, "There is not a single thing that is permanent that will not slough off on its own," adding, "In time it will go away."
This Weird Wednesday story might springboard us to a couple of spiritual lessons:
I think there's something to be said here about the importance of not allowing our eyes to be glued shut, spiritually speaking. There are all types of impulses and information that can blind us to God's truth, and we need to stay sharp in the Spirit. And, unfortunately, we can be walking around with diminished spiritual sensitivity and not even recognize it. We have to be dependent on the Holy Spirit in us to show us the direction in which we should walk - to help our eyes stay open to God's truth.
There are a number of factors that can cause spiritual blindness. In the physical instance I referred to, the lady was given the wrong container of liquid - instead of finding relief, she found irritation. And, I believe that if we're not careful, we can reach for the relief that the world promises, but cannot deliver. We must make sure we are not allowing the desires for worldly success or pleasure blind us to the riches of God's love and kindness. We can reach for the soothing balm of the Spirit that can bring us the satisfaction we desire.
There are a number of factors that can cause spiritual blindness. In the physical instance I referred to, the lady was given the wrong container of liquid - instead of finding relief, she found irritation. And, I believe that if we're not careful, we can reach for the relief that the world promises, but cannot deliver. We must make sure we are not allowing the desires for worldly success or pleasure blind us to the riches of God's love and kindness. We can reach for the soothing balm of the Spirit that can bring us the satisfaction we desire.
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