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Listen while you read: "Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending"1 (Lyrics) |
I clearly remember getting my first eyeglasses. I was 12 years old, and I didn't realize how blurry the world had been until we were driving home from the optometrist. I looked out the window and discovered a clearly-defined world with details that I had never seen. Ever since then, my life has been greatly enhanced by this marvellous invention.
The concept of eyeglasses has been around for centuries. In the first century, Emperor Nero of Rome held an emerald to his eye to reduce the glare as he watched the gladiatorial contests — the first sunglasses. At about the same time, a scholar described using a glass globe filled with water to enlarge letters on a page. In the eleventh century, an Arab mathematician made reading globes. Later, beryl stones were used to enlarge text. Called reading stones, they were held up to the eye to magnify the text. By the thirteenth century, primitive lenses set into wooden or leather frames could be perched on one's nose. Today, thanks to the wisdom that God gave many scientists and inventers, we have access to a huge variety of tools to aid our physical vision.
In the story of Jesus healing the man born blind in John 9, eyeglasses couldn't have helped the blind man, even if they had been available — but Jesus could, and did. He put mud on the blind man's eyes, and after he had washed in the pool of Siloam, he "came back seeing!" Better yet, the last seven verses of the chapter indicate that his spiritual eyes were opened as well.
John 8:12 – Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (NLT)
I accepted Jesus as my Saviour when I was five. At that age, I didn't fully understand what I had done. As I grew both physically and spiritually, my spiritual eyes were opened. In the words of the old hymn The Light of the World is Jesus (audio):
- Come to the light, 'tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;
Once I was blind, but now I can see:
The Light of the world is Jesus!
– Philip P. Bliss
Two thousand years after Jesus healed the blind man, the eyes of many people are still spiritually blind — they refuse to recognize the lordship of Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Saviour. When the apostle Paul was blinded by a light from heaven on the road to Damascus, the Lord Jesus told him, "I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God." (Acts 26:17b-18a NLT)
Once our eyes are spiritually open, we, like Paul, have a commission to tell the world about our wonderful Saviour. "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations. … Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you." (Matthew 28:19a,20a NLT)
Prayer: Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son, the light of the world. Help us to share that light with others so that they, too, may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Amen.
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Thank you for sharing truth this morning. Have a perfect day seeing the light.
Jesus is the Light of the World – as Christians we can be a light of hope in this dark world – our challenge.
What a fascinating history of eyeglasses you’ve given us, Sharon. How grateful we can be that Jesus has also opened our blind spiritual eyes.
Thank you, Sharon, I like your devotion for today very much.
Thanks very much.
(Quebec)
Thank you for your devotional, and that old hymn tune came back to my mind as I read the words. I haven’t sung it for years but thank you for mentioning it. How we need the light in this dark world. Blessings.
Thanks Sharon,
As coincidence would have it, I just made an appointment with my optometrist. I’m going to share this with him!
Blessings.
Thanks, Sharon, for another of your very meaningful devotionals. I was about the same age as you were when I got glasses and I remember how clear the words on the school chalk board suddenly appeared. It sure compares how enlightened our lives become when we seek and follow the “light” of our loving Saviour. Blessings for the special writings you submit.
Dear Sharon,
Thank you for your devotional today.
I need eyeglasses to read and write too. And I Praise God for the wisdom He bestowed to inventors and scientists who have worked tirelessly to develop and produce eyeglasses to help us all see better.
Blessings!
Good morning, Sharon,
One of the few things I remember from my younger school days was my teacher telling my parents that I needed to get my eyes tested. I was in grade 4 and was the first child to start to wear glasses. It did make it easier to see the blackboard. I didn’t realize everyone didn’t see things fuzzy like I did.
Great message of shining our light for Jesus out into the world so others can know the greatness of our God. Thanks for sharing a little of the history of how glasses came to be. I really liked the part about the emerald.
May you continue to shine your light and inspire others. Blessings.
We share a similar journey.
Sharon,
Not only did I appreciate the message of your devotional, but I learned something about the history of glasses – something I have been dependent on since I was about your age. I can’t imagine my life without either my physical or spiritual glasses.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us. Blessings.