Tag: Chris Tomlin

Spiritual Eyes

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I’m in a serious state of denial.  I think I’m reaching that “certain age” where mature adults finally admit that they need a little boost with their vision.  Somehow, I can’t bring myself to make the trip to the store to buy a pair of reading glasses.  I guess it just makes me feel “old.”  (If you wear reading glasses, please don’t take that personally, it’s my silly little issue).  So, I’ve been compensating by using larger font sizes, squinting, or sneaking to put on my husband’s readers when no one is looking.  He came home from work the other day and caught me by surprise as I was writing at the computer.  As I turned to greet him, he laughed and said:  “You’re busted!!”  I’d forgotten to take off his reading glasses.   It was a funny, albeit humbling, moment.

I’ve been thinking about vision a lot lately and realizing that besides our physical eyes, God has also given us “spiritual eyes.”  And just like my physical vision is in need of a “boost,” we need to give our “spiritual eyes” a boost by asking God to open them for us.  I think many people spend a lifetime in spiritual blindness, missing out on all that God is doing in the world around them.  I don’t want to be one of those people.

Two of my favorite stories about spiritual vision come from opposite ends of the Bible.  One is in 2 Kings 6 and the other is in the book of Acts.

The story in 2 Kings 6:8-23 is about the prophet Elisha.  God has given him the divine ability to know the movements of Israel’s enemies in advance so that the Israelites can defend themselves.  Verse 10 says,  “Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.”  Elisha’s ability to discern the enemies’ plans enraged them, so they decided to try and capture him.  As the soldiers surrounded the city to close in on Elisha, his servant went into a panic:  “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.  ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked.”

Elisha responds with complete confidence:  “Don’t be afraid… Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  Then he prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’  Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

How cool is that?  One minute the servant is quaking in his sandals and the next he sees God’s holy army completely surrounding the enemy and protecting Elijah and him.  They were there all the time–he just didn’t have the eyes to see them.

The New Testament “vision” story I love takes place in Acts 9 when Saul is converted on the road to Damascus.  As he is on his way to persecute Christians, he encounters a blinding light from heaven accompanied by the voice of Jesus:  “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”  Jesus then gives Saul instructions to go to the city and find a specific disciple who will tell him what to do.  With the help of his companions, the blinded Saul travels to Damascus where he follows Jesus’ instructions.  He meets with a disciple named Ananias, who Jesus sends to heal Saul.  Ananias lays his hands on Saul saying  “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  The text says: “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again.  He got up and was baptized.”

I love that Saul’s physical sight was restored and that the Holy Spirit opened his spiritual eyes at the same time.  I love the instant change that occurred in Saul and that his first action was to get baptized as a believer.  From that moment on, his entire mission in life went from persecuting Christians to sharing the Good News of Christ.

I wonder, sometimes, if we need to pray for God to open our spiritual eyes a bit wider.  Are there things we’re missing because we’ve stopped staying in tune with the Spirit?  Are we getting apathetic and failing to look in wonder on God’s creation all around us?  Maybe we’ve lost our spiritual eyes to see a world crying out for compassion.  Do we realize that the same spiritual army that surrounded Elisha and his servant is at our beck and call?  Do we even recognize spiritual battles when they crop up?

IMG_5941 I like the way Priscilla Shirer says it:  “As believers, our spiritual eyes must detect God’s presence.  Once this happens, the opportunity unfolds for us to understand our calling and the vast inheritance we’ve been given to accomplish the tasks before us”  (Gideon p.44).

I think it’s challenging to have spiritual eyes in our western culture.  We pride ourselves on self-sufficiency.  We like to make things safe, comfortable and easy.  We have contingency plans and back up scenarios for everything.  We’re anesthetizing ourselves constantly with mindless entertainment.  We all run the risk of being lulled into letting our vision get fuzzy- kind of like my denial over needing reading glasses (yes, I am wearing my husband’s readers as I type this).

The more I write, the more it reminds me of Gideon’s community.  People had lost sight of who God was.  They had forgotten His power and His miracles.  They stopped worshipping Him and were influenced into worshipping the gods of those in the cultures around them.  And it happened in just one generation.

I don’t know about you, but reading that makes me want to ask the Spirit to sharpen my spiritual eyesight.  I want to discern where I’m growing lukewarm and letting our world direct my steps instead of God.  My prayer through Gideon is “Give me eyes to see you God.”

How about you?  Is it time for a spiritual vision check?  Time to see where things have gotten a little fuzzy?  Are there places where God is opening your eyes in new ways?  Make a comment below and tell us about it.

Finally, check out the three attached videos.  Each one deals with a slightly different aspect of our “spiritual vision.”

Chris Tomlin’s  “Whom Shall I Fear” will focus your “spiritual vision” on God’s hand of protection that surrounds you at all times.

Brandon Heath’s “Give Me Your Eyes” will fix your gaze on God’s heart of compassion and the ways He’s calling you to engage others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mhpLjPslbM

Josh Wilson’s “Behind the Beauty” will remind you to see every aspect of creation as an opportunity to praise God for His incredible handiwork.

Traveling Light with an Eye Towards Home

1991 Europe
In the spring of my junior year of college, I was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad in London.  The program was structured to allow all the students ample time for traveling on weekends.  We even had a ten-day break in the middle of our studies to take adventures to more far flung destinations.

I’ll never forget our first weekend trip.  My friend, Kristi, and I packed up our large travel backpacks and headed to Paddington Station in central London.  By the time we arrived at the station, our backs were already aching and our shoulders were sagging under the weight of our large loads.  What we quickly realized was that the full size bottles of shampoo, multiple pairs of shoes and outfit changes we’d packed led to unbearably heavy baggage.  A few weeks later when we packed for our longer trip, we had learned our lesson and brought as little as possible.  The things that had seemed so important to bring lost their value when we realized how much they weighed us down.

My lesson traveling in Europe seems to fit well with Sheila Walsh’s final chapter in The Shelter of God’s Promises.  As she explores The Promise of Heaven, she likens our time on earth to a short camping trip.  She says: “I think we will all be more than happy to pitch our tent and be in a mode of traveling light because what is ahead is so much better!” (p.196) What things do you need to jettison from your baggage so that you can travel lighter on the journey?

For many people, focusing on this life supersedes thoughts of the life yet to come. Yet, God’s plan all along has been to use this life as a training ground to prepare us to spend eternity with Him.   Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:1-3  “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”  When we fret over earthly things, we are losing sight of truth.  When we focus all of our energy on making life here and now perfect and comfortable, we’ll be disappointed repeatedly.  Sheila Walsh puts it well when she says:  “We will always have an experience here of It isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, or It isn’t quite as fulfilling as I thought it would be.  That is because we were not made to live in our earthly tents for very long”  (p. 196).

I have had the privilege and the heartbreak of watching three different family members go home to Heaven in the last 9 years.  It may sound strange to read the word “privilege” in response to seeing a loved one die, but those experiences have had a profound impact on my faith and my understanding of God.  It’s hard to put words to the experience and of the intimacy of watching someone move from this life to the next.  There is a sense of relief knowing they are no longer suffering, but also the realization that they actually have the better end of the deal.  Something about it makes everything seem more real, more profound- God’s word and promises, our faith, our relationships, the love we share, the hope we have because of who Jesus is and what He has done.  The fussy things of this life seem shallow and meaningless by comparison.  The hurt and the pain are raw and powerful, but the hope and peace are deeper still.   They bring an unspeakable comfort that words cannot adequately express.

Through the journey of grief, I found powerful healing and comfort through songs with themes centered on Heaven.  Some have become like well-loved companions holding my heart in times of intense pain.  I thought it would be fitting to include a few of my favorite titles and artists.  They can point you toward the promise of heaven in a way words alone cannot.  I hope you’ll take time to listen to them, to download the ones you love and to share your own favorites by commenting below.

I’ve included links that will play the songs and show the lyrics.  Carve out ten minutes for a “worship moment”  to listen and  praise God for the promise of Heaven that gives us ultimate joy and hope.


This Is Not My Home by Building 429

I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me

I’ll Fly Away traditional hymn sung by Jars of Clay

Deep Enough to Dream by Chris Rice

Take Me Into the Beautiful by Cloverton

Softly and Tenderly traditional hymn sung by Amy Grant

Untitled Hymn by Chris Rice

I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin

Finally Home by Mercy Me