11/18/05
Encouragement for Today
(Principle #1)
“Legally Blind”
Gwen Smith, Worship Leader, Song Writer, Recording Artist, Graduate of She Speaks Conference
Key Verse:
John 9:25b, “…One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
Devotion:
When we were little, my older sister Elise was diagnosed as being legally blind. She was the first kid in our family of seven to get glasses. To this day, when Elise wakes up in the morning she needs to put her glasses on to see the clock that is at her bedside, because the bright red numbers are too blurry. Now please don’t misunderstand me, my sister can see. She just can’t see with a clarity that allows her to operate safely and accurately without corrective vision. What does that mean in her life? Well, for one thing, she is not permitted to drive without her glasses or contacts. She also needs her glasses to read and write. It is recommended that she wear her corrective lenses anytime she is awake.
I don’t have any trouble with my eyes, but there are many times when I need help seeing. One of my favorite hymns sings like this:
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true Son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one
High King of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever be fall
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all!
What a challenging lyric! The author of this song is asking God to be his eyes, to be with him throughout the day and night, to grant him wisdom, to be his perfect Father … to give him perfect, Godly vision.
Spiritually speaking, on this earth there is not one of us with ‘perfect vision.’ The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” None of us measure up to God’s perfect standard. We couldn’t even see below the first letter on the ‘heavenly eye chart!’ We are all sinners. The Bible also says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 5:8 shares the hope of Christ by telling us: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” To receive forgiveness, we must confess. Romans 10:9,10 states that “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Just like my sister needs glasses to see, we all need the Lord Jesus Christ to give us forgiveness, clear vision, hope, direction and wisdom in life. Have you asked Him to be your vision? Have you confessed with your mouth that you are not perfect and believed in your heart that Jesus is the risen Son of God? If you have never done that, I would urge you to pray this simple prayer in your heart right now: “Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and have done wrong in my life. I believe that you are the risen Son of God and that you came to die so that I could be forgiven. Lord, please forgive me. Please come into my heart and my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, please go to the Do You Know Him link listed below in “Additional Resources” and enter your contact information. We would love to share in your good news and answer any questions.
My Prayer for Today:
Dear Lord, would you please be my vision today? Please help me to see as you see, so I can clearly understand what You would like to accomplish in my life? Let all that I do and say be in line with your perfect will for me. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
Reflection Points:
Do you put on your ‘spiritual glasses’ in church on Sunday and then remove them the rest of the week because you think you may look better to everyone else without them?
Are there days, weeks or even months in your life that you can still function, but cannot see with clarity because you aren’t relying on God for His perfect vision?
Are you prayerfully looking to see where God wants to take you on life’s journey?
Application Steps:
Ask God to show you HIS vision for your life. Seek His direction and wisdom for your future and the future of those you love.
Write down three areas of your life that need prayer and clarity.
Call a girlfriend and ask her to pray for your three areas and to hold you accountable to keeping the vision.
Power Verses:
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Additional Resources:
Do You Know Him?
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/knowHim.htm
Because, the newest Christian Music CD, by Gwen Smith
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_because.htm
Who Holds the Key to Your Heart, by Lysa TerKeurst
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_whoHoldsKey.htm
Originally published Friday, 18 November 2005.
SHARE
