As I write this, my eyes are bothering me. Soaring temperatures combined with a lack of rain have made for hot, dry, and dusty conditions here in east Tennessee. As a result, after spending three hours cutting grass and weed-eating, my eyes are itching and burning from all the dust.
At least I know what I am suffering from and how to alleviate the problem. Rinsing my eyes thoroughly in the shower helped a lot. Following this up with eye drops has helped even more. Hopefully, after a good night’s sleep, my eyes will be much better in the morning.
As I write this, however, my heart is also bothering me. While out walking a few days ago, I came across a young bull in my neighbor’s pasture which was repeatedly turning in circles. As he did, he continually lifted and lowered his head. Every second or third turn, he stumbled; and every fourth or fifth turn, he actually fell down.
I immediately called my neighbor, who was out cutting hay in another pasture. When he got home a little while later, he got the young bull into the barn and promptly began treating it for a severe case of conjunctivitis, or as it is more commonly known, pink eye.
I did not know it; but it seems this is a common problem for cattle in years such as this one, where we get extremely high temperatures earlier in the summer than usual. Apparently, once the disease sets in, flies (which love to plague cows), easily transmit the infection from one animal to another.
The reason my heart is bothering me is because I spoke to my neighbor today and he told me that, despite all his efforts, the young bull’s eyes were too far gone. As a result, he had to have the poor animal put down.
And for this reason, as I write this, my conscience is also bothering me. You see, the more I have thought about it, the more I have come to see a spiritual parallel here. There are many ways the Bible pictures those who are without Christ. Among them… as dead and in need of life, as sick and in need of healing, and yes, as blind, and in need of sight.
Whatever metaphor one uses to describe them, they are clearly in need of the Master. Without His restorative work, they cannot hope to be made whole.
I have asked myself a hundred times what might have been the outcome if I had happened upon the pitiful young bull just a little while earlier. Or if I had only called my neighbor sooner. (After all, I stood there for several moments observing the creature in its agony before I realized I needed to do something on its behalf.)
In like manner, I have pondered how many needy souls I have happened upon, and how many of them I could have and should have helped earlier than I actually did. Who knows what their eternal destiny proved to be; and what role my response to their condition, whether belated or not, played in the whole matter.
In short, the Lord has used this whole episode to open my own eyes! He has underscored for me the fact that I need to see those around me who are in peril. And seeing them, I need to act on their behalf. For in truth, as terrible as it is, physical blindness still cannot compare to spiritual blindness.
The 9th chapter of the Gospel of John records the story of the blind man who healed by Jesus. The story concludes with him testifying that he did not know just Who Jesus was, but this … “one thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
I myself have much the same testimony. While I have always been blessed with reasonably good physical eyesight, I was nonetheless spiritually blind until the day Jesus Christ came into my life. Once He did, He gave me a similar testimony. And for this reason, I too now boldly proclaim that “Once I was blind; but now I see!”
And as one who can now see spiritually, may I be careful to use my spiritual eyesight to see others all around me who are in need of the same healing hand of Jesus! Thus, my prayer is: “Keep my eyes open, Lord!”
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/niv/john/9.htm.
At least I know what I am suffering from and how to alleviate the problem. Rinsing my eyes thoroughly in the shower helped a lot. Following this up with eye drops has helped even more. Hopefully, after a good night’s sleep, my eyes will be much better in the morning.
As I write this, however, my heart is also bothering me. While out walking a few days ago, I came across a young bull in my neighbor’s pasture which was repeatedly turning in circles. As he did, he continually lifted and lowered his head. Every second or third turn, he stumbled; and every fourth or fifth turn, he actually fell down.
I immediately called my neighbor, who was out cutting hay in another pasture. When he got home a little while later, he got the young bull into the barn and promptly began treating it for a severe case of conjunctivitis, or as it is more commonly known, pink eye.
I did not know it; but it seems this is a common problem for cattle in years such as this one, where we get extremely high temperatures earlier in the summer than usual. Apparently, once the disease sets in, flies (which love to plague cows), easily transmit the infection from one animal to another.
The reason my heart is bothering me is because I spoke to my neighbor today and he told me that, despite all his efforts, the young bull’s eyes were too far gone. As a result, he had to have the poor animal put down.
And for this reason, as I write this, my conscience is also bothering me. You see, the more I have thought about it, the more I have come to see a spiritual parallel here. There are many ways the Bible pictures those who are without Christ. Among them… as dead and in need of life, as sick and in need of healing, and yes, as blind, and in need of sight.
Whatever metaphor one uses to describe them, they are clearly in need of the Master. Without His restorative work, they cannot hope to be made whole.
I have asked myself a hundred times what might have been the outcome if I had happened upon the pitiful young bull just a little while earlier. Or if I had only called my neighbor sooner. (After all, I stood there for several moments observing the creature in its agony before I realized I needed to do something on its behalf.)
In like manner, I have pondered how many needy souls I have happened upon, and how many of them I could have and should have helped earlier than I actually did. Who knows what their eternal destiny proved to be; and what role my response to their condition, whether belated or not, played in the whole matter.
In short, the Lord has used this whole episode to open my own eyes! He has underscored for me the fact that I need to see those around me who are in peril. And seeing them, I need to act on their behalf. For in truth, as terrible as it is, physical blindness still cannot compare to spiritual blindness.
The 9th chapter of the Gospel of John records the story of the blind man who healed by Jesus. The story concludes with him testifying that he did not know just Who Jesus was, but this … “one thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
I myself have much the same testimony. While I have always been blessed with reasonably good physical eyesight, I was nonetheless spiritually blind until the day Jesus Christ came into my life. Once He did, He gave me a similar testimony. And for this reason, I too now boldly proclaim that “Once I was blind; but now I see!”
And as one who can now see spiritually, may I be careful to use my spiritual eyesight to see others all around me who are in need of the same healing hand of Jesus! Thus, my prayer is: “Keep my eyes open, Lord!”
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/niv/john/9.htm.