The Eyes Have It

This life’s dim window of the soul

Distort the heavens from pole to pole

And lead you to believe a lie

When you see with, not through, the eye

That little poem by William Blake describes a common condition. People, including but not limited to Christians, in times of struggle, excessive activity, physical or spiritual exhaustion can be deceived by what they see with their eye as opposed to using discernment. Choices and decisions made by emotional reactions are equally dangerous. Then there are those that routinely function from a position that believes all that glitters really is gold and chase after the sparkle.

For example, Abraham and Lot found themselves at a point where the land they inhabited could no longer sustain all the flocks and herds they held. A division would be necessary to maintain. Abraham made the offer to Lot to take his flocks, family and household and choose the land he wanted for this move. “And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley as well watered…” Genesis 13:10 Lot eagerly looked around and took the greenest and most lush fields and valley for himself. He ‘thought’ with his eyes, seeing the beauty, selfishly wanting what he perceived as the best for himself; no concern for his generous uncle. This was his decision making process, not inner values and convictions. The moral decay and filthy lifestyles of Sodom and Gomorrah included in that valley he desired would eventually lead to the loss of his family, his dignity and credibility.

In my reading this morning, I noted that there are 508 scriptures using the word eyes in the NIV Bible. The most common use of the word was referencing ‘lift(ing) up their/your eyes’….With 508 references, it is safe to assume they play a vital role in our life, well beyond the obvious. It seems to me that in ‘lifting up’ our eyes, we are making a deliberate action over a casual sighting.

We have heard the proverb that says ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’. Scripture tells us in Luke 11:34 Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye (your conscience) is sound and fulfilling its office, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound and is not fulfilling its office, your body is full of darkness.

And from 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

So, it seems we should pay diligent attention (that ‘deliberate action’ mentioned above) to that which we do with out eyes! We guard our hearts by monitoring what we see and hear. We can delight the Lord by our eyes seek or we can spiral into sin with those same eyes.

Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints

In reference to Jesus, Isaiah prophesied Isaiah 11:3 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;

In short, Jesus always has been, always will be our example; the standard by which we are to aspire. I leave you with these words of encouragement:

Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.