Selective Vision

-
Horses with blinders in Banff, Canada. The drivers want the horses to have selective vision so that they are not distracted. 



Scripture:

John 8:12-13

Jesus the Light of the World
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.”

Observation:

Jesus was speaking to the people and the religious leaders were there, ready to criticize him. Jesus came as light into a dark world, illuminating the Scriptures and the law with his very life. Many were finding the pathway out of darkness by following Jesus, the light. 

The Pharisees brought up a technicality regarding Jesus’ testimony. They said that two others would need to testify on his behalf, or his testimony would not be valid. The problem with their argument was that Jesus truly was light and if they would have listened to his preaching and learned from him, they would have seen the light. A bright light was shining right toward them and they were insisting on the outside witness of others to declare that there was a light. Their selective vision had blinded them to the light which was emanating from Jesus. 

Application:

The religious leaders were in denial about what they were actually experiencing. Refusing to accept the light of Jesus, they wanted others to prove to them that there really was a light. 

Jesus is alive and well and through the power of the Holy Spirit is engaged in our world today. Far too many of us have selective vision, refusing to see the hand of God at work, and insisting that some outside source come and validate the Spirit’s presence. 

Christ has come and the light has entered this world. That light continues to shine brightly today, providing a pathway through the darkness. We need to ask God to remove anything that obstructs our vision of what the Spirit is doing and how the Lord is at work. When we see God at work, it’s much easier to join in and participate in that work. 

The light entering the world and providing for the needs of humanity was a supernatural event. God isn’t finished with the supernatural and through the power of the Spirit is still engaged with humanity. This is the testimony that God is very real and engaged in our lives on a daily basis. We just need to check our selective vision at the door. 

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes to see you and your hand at work. Amen. 

Comments

  1. windowgirlJanuary 2, 2019 at 7:07 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. windowgirlJanuary 2, 2019 at 7:09 AM

    This is a great comparison to the horses with blinders! Many people don’t realize how horses vision works. Horses are designed by the great creator to have vision that sees best from the sides and can even view behind themselves. If you stand directly in front of them to pet them they cannot actually see you ! Their frontal vision begins at about three or four feet and has binocular capabilities . All this is to explain that blinders cripple a horse causing them to only see what is in front of them and at the same time only partially that. The blinders keep them from utilizing their God given ability to spot danger from behind, beside, and far ahead of them. The poor creatures have no choice in the matter but we do! What a great comparison to we humans

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have
Read more