Are You Seeing Things?

Isaiah 42:1-7

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Of all the organs in the human body, the most awesome one is the eye.

Hearing, tasting, feeling and smelling are important senses, but the ability to see surpasses them all.

Eye movement is controlled by six muscles that are directly attached to the eyeball. Four muscles form a relatively straight line from their points of origin, while two oblique muscles approach the surface of the eye at an angle. All the muscles combine to keep the eyeball in nearly constant motion in order to maximize human vision, which is capable of focusing on about 100,000 distinct points in the visual field. These muscles also enable both eyes to focus on the same point simultaneously, thereby creating effective depth perception.

Vision, ability to see the features of objects we look at, such as color, shape, size, details, depth, and contrast. The eyes and brain work together to form pictures of the world around us. Vision begins with light rays bouncing off the surface of objects. These reflected light rays enter the eye and are transformed into electrical signals. Millions of signals per second leave the eye via the optic nerve and travel to the visual area of the brain. Brain cells then decode the signals into images, providing us with sight.

Almost all animals respond to light. However, it is the vertebrates that have eyes and a brain that work together to process light into true images. Human vision is particularly unique in that the human brain can process visual images and use them to create language and pictures and to store information for future use.

• Seeing is recognition and cognitive processes.
• Seeing is breathtaking.
• Seeing is depth perception.
• Seeing is timing perception.
• Seeing is light and color sensitive.
• Seeing triggers defense mechanisms.
• The ability to see is so critical to the human existence that it has taken on the abstract meaning of understanding. We “see” solutions to problems. We “see” spiritual truths.

It is no wonder that spiritual eyesight is often referred to in scripture.

The Jews were “blinded” spiritually so they could not see the Messiah.

Rom 11:8-10 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompence unto them: 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

Those who are lost are considered blind.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 

There are many things we see that we must not allow to affect our hearts.

2   Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

We often see what we expect to see.

• We see temptations.
• We see faces.
• We see actions.
• We see worldly beauty and glamour.
• We see worldly success and pride.
• We also see negative things.
• We see discouragements.
• We see failure.
• We see dilemmas.
• We see problems.
• We see tragedy.

In 1999, I ministered in the Canadian province of British Columbia. We were at a retreat in Kolowna, up in the Canadian Rockies, about 4-5 hours from Vancouver. We made it through the pass, but that night the snows came and they highway patrol closed the pass to all traffic. The next morning, I woke up to a glorious sight of snow-capped mountains completely surrounding the city of Vancouver. Many years ago, many people would have looked at that sight and would have simply seen mountains. Pioneers, however, looked at the same sight and saw a mountain pass.

We must understand that God wants us to be able to see as he sees.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

Maybe that’s why John rehearses the story of the blind man at length.

John 9:6-7 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. 

It is clear that Jesus had an ulterior motive in healing the blind man.

John 9:39-41 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. 

Just as there are some things that you see that God doesn’t want you to see, there are some things you do not see that God wants you to see.

Hebrews 11:1-8 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 

Faith elevates you to a higher level where you can see things previously unseen.

• There are victories invisible to the naked eye that you must be convinced are there.
• There are spiritual milestones and miracles that are hidden to the carnal eye. The eyes of faith can always see beyond the visible.
• The eyes of faith see the preciousness in true doctrine.
• The eyes of faith see the blessings of living faithfully unto God.
• The eyes of faith see the true rewards of holiness.
• The eyes of faith see the answers to prayer.
• The eyes of faith see the paybacks to sacrifice.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Do not become discouraged just because you cannot see something you want to see.

• Do not think God has failed just because your carnal eyesight has momentarily won the day.
• Do not go backwards because you cannot discern a way out of your problem.

The fact is that you are experiencing a whiteout or a blackout. The problem is with your eyesight, not with the actual circumstances before you.

2 Kings 6:8-17

8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

It is time to open the eyes of faith and focus in on what God is doing.

Revelation 3:17-18  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.