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Listen while you read: "Open My Eyes That I May See"1 (Lyrics) |
Ephesians 1:18 – I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. (NIV)
"My goodness, these glasses are dirty! I can barely read." I'd just grabbed a pair from the table to help me read the paper. I pulled them off and realized that it wasn't dirt that made them blurry — I'd picked up the single vision glasses that I use when working on my computer.
I have three different pairs of glasses: one for reading, one for the computer, and one with trifocals for every other situation. All three help me to see more clearly in a variety of situations. But just as I depend on these three for physical sight, I also need to depend on the various lenses of God's Word for spiritual sight. As Paul Baloche's song based on today's verse says, "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord … I want to see You."
Psalm 119:18 – Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. (NIV)
Have you ever had the experience of reading a verse in the Bible for the fifth or the tenth or even the hundredth time over the years, and all of a sudden, a wonderful new thought from that Scripture pops into your head? You have found something new that was there all the time, waiting for you. About thirty years ago, when I was well into adulthood, I "found" Jeremiah 29:11, the verse about God having a plan for us, though surely, I had read or heard it multiple times. It soon became my life verse.
We must be open to God's leading as we read the Bible, waiting for Him to open our eyes to all that He has for us. We must avoid using the Bible for "bibliomancy", an unbiblical form of divination, where we come to the Bible with a problem, randomly open it, point to a verse, and hope that it gives us the answer. Instead, we need to pray for wisdom as we read: wisdom to interpret Scripture carefully and wisdom to make the appropriate application to our lives.
The Bible is full of wisdom and wonder, and through it, we can find many ways to worship God. In it, we can find answers to life's problems and encouragement for our daily needs. We must make it a part of our daily lives and pray for insight as we read. What can we do today to make this happen?
Prayer: Lord, "Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!" (Clara H. Scott) Amen.
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Wednesday, January 15, 2025 – In Scarborough, Ontario — Pray for those who gather Wednesday mornings in the lobby of Grace West Hill Presbyterian Church, Scarborough, Ontario, for fellowship with coffee at "Second Timothy's". Pray for good fellowship with a sense of the Holy Spirit's presence. Pray that they would be encouraged to share with those they meet and work with.
Prayer for Pastor Kristen: "Update January14, 2025: Kristen is facing another round of radiation. She is virtually a shut in,..." 
May it be so, Sharon.
Thank you for your encouraging devotional in reading and claiming those special verses. We need to pass them on and help each other read the Bible more.
Hi Sharon,
Excellent devotional today “Seeing Clearly.”
“Open the Eyes of my Heart” was written by Paul Baloche and released in the year 2000. Many artists have recorded it.
Blessings.
Dear Sharon,
It is early in the morning and I am still working through the brain fog that doesn’t disappear until after my first coffee. But that said, your post spoke to me clearly and God has clearly inspired it!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful message.
Thanks, Sharon, for another of your very special writings. Yes there are times when I really ponder on a scripture before I really get the full meaning of it. The Lord doesn’t want us to take His word lightly and we sure get much reassurance from it when we take it seriously and apply it to each situation. It is then that we truly feel the depth of our Lord’s loving care for us.
Blessings for these very meaningful devotionals you prepare.
Oh my goodness, Sharon. I cannot imagine keeping up with three pairs of glasses. Two and a half years ago I had cataract surgery. Not long after I developed a haze (there is a medical name for it I am sure), went back to the ophthalmologist and had “the distance” eye fixed. Now, two years later the right eye has haze. It is the “close-up” eye, and I can hardly wait for the appointment with the ophthalmologist.
Thanks.
Oh Sharon, tunes (with words) are swirling in my head! Thanks for your message today and that wonderful prayer, also playing in my head!
I can’t imagine having 3 sets of glasses but appreciate your use of that analogy and our spiritual eyes! It sure is amazing when that aha happens after reading a well-known passage and ‘seeing’ a new message!
Keep writing!
Blessings.
I had to smile at your heading for today’s devotional. I had cataract surgery one week ago today – and both my husband and I have been smiling a lot at the infantile delight I have been having with my new, much clearer lens. It is like I have not seen the beauty around me for such a long time, and someone has put the light on in my eye. I can’t wait to have the second eye done! To top it off – the hymn you used for the prayer (open my eyes), is one of my old favourites – and has not been sung in my church for many years. It brought a smile to my face and (close to) a tear to my eyes.
Thank you for this beautiful start to my day!
Good morning, Sharon,
I love your message of how all of a sudden we see something in our reading that we did not understand before. Yesterday the devotional of the “gold cups” was one for me. It added a dimension to my prayers that I had not recognized before. That they are collected in “gold cups” made them feel more precious and more purposeful. It is really interesting how that happens as you relate in your devotional today.
I have always liked this hymn, so it added to my pleasure reading your devotional. Thank you for the encouragement to learn and seek so that we have great understanding when God provides that door when we are ready to “see clearly”.
Blessings.