I Once Was Blind…

I once had a patient who was blind. He was a remarkable man. I was his doctor, helping him learn how to live in such a way as to reverse his diabetes and obesity. I had advice for his health, but he had inspiration for my soul. You see, he was blind before I took care of him, but He wasn’t blind when I took care of him. And I wanted to know why.

He grew up in a Christian home. He learned the stories of the Bible. He fell in love with Jesus. He decided to attend a Bible college, and he eventually spent a portion of his life as a parttime pastor. He married and had children, and life became busy. He was never taught how to care for his body, so he naturally ate and lived like his parents ate and lived. Eventually, he gained weight and developed diabetes. 

With his diabetes, his vision began to get worse and worse. At first, it was difficult for him to see the smaller words on labels. Then he had trouble reading the words in his Bible and had to use a magnifying glass. Later, he could only see the outlines of things around him. And eventually, he lost the ability to see any light at all. He was blind—completely blind. 

What was he going to do now that he was blind? What would his life amount to? He was dependent upon his wife, and his children were grown and out of the home. Not having a clear direction in life, he simply sat for hours a day in front of the TV, listening and listening. 

But one day, something happened. One day he had a thought. He remembered how much peace he had with the Lord before. He saw how discontented he was now. And he realized that the peace he had previously experienced was associated with reading and believing the promises of the Bible. The thought he had was, “I want to be able to read my Bible again.”

But how does a blind man read his Bible when he cannot see? He turned off the TV, asked for his Bible, opened its pages and held it before him, looking in the direction of the Bible. He asked God to give him his vision so he could read the Bible again. And he willed to read. Every day, he would take out his Bible, put it before him, asked God for the ability to see so he could read his Bible, and willed to see. 

In a couple weeks, he noticed that he could see a little light. In a few more weeks, he could see the outline of things around him. In a few more weeks, he could see the pages of his Bible. In a few more weeks, he could read words in his Bible with a large magnifying glass. And eventually he could read without any help. His sight was completely restored!

And here he was, my patient, learning how to take care of his body for health. And there I was, his doctor, learning lessons of faith for eternity. I discovered he had far more to offer me than I had to offer him. 

I have not thought of this man for years, but he came to mind this morning as I was walking and talking with the Lord. I began to think about how his story applies to our lives. Where are we blind? What can we not see? Have we just been sitting around, listening to the constant barrage of the enemy and our own negative thoughts? Have we settled into the thought that how our life is now is how it will always be? What could be possible if we only asked God for sight and willed to see? 

The power of creation is in the word of God. “God said…and it was so.” Genesis 1:6-7. The power of recreation is in the word of God as well. “Only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” Matthew 8:8. But that power is not available to us while we are not reading it, not desiring it, and not believing it. If we sit before our TV’s, computer screens, or devices, consuming the trash, trouble, and trivia of the world, it is guaranteed that we will remain powerless.  

The problem is not what we watch. The problem is the sinful nature of our heart. What we watch is only an external manifestation of our internal problem. But what we need in order to resolve our internal problem is the creative and recreative power of the word of God. We need the promises given to us by God that we might be empowered to adopt and live the life of Christ. We need the creative and recreative power of the word of God to open our spiritual eyes, so we can truly see. And when our spiritual eyes are opened, everything will change. We will find joy, meaning, and purpose in life. And we will be encouraged and empowered to help others see as well. 

Will you commit to opening your Bible every day? Will you commit to asking God every day to help you see the meaning in the passages you read? Will you commit to keeping at it, day by day, even if it doesn’t make sense to you yet? Will you commit to trusting God that He will give you vision, little by little, as he did for my patient years ago? Will you commit to keeping at it until you can see? I believe the same miracle performed for my patient’s physical vision is available to you for your spiritual vision. It is God’s will that you see, and His power always supports His will. 

If you would like a resource to help you on this journey of unlocking the power of God’s word and experiencing its transforming work in your life, I recommend Bible Promises for Freedom: A Resource for Overcoming Negative Thoughts. This book is written for the purpose of helping you understand the power you have available to you in God’s word and how you can access that power for your own life. In finding freedom yourself, you can then be a channel of God’s transforming grace in the lives of others. And you will find your purpose and joy in taking from God’s word and giving to others. To order the book for you and your family, you can go here: https://npmin.org/shop/. And if you would like a Kindle version of the book, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Promises-Freedom-Resource-Overcoming-ebook/dp/B0DGZRJCDF/. God bless you abundantly as you cooperate with the power of God’s word to give you sight.