Eyes and Ears

I shared some of this on Facebook, but some don't have Facebook and I wanted to add some more to it.

I had a great time at the Guthrie meeting. There were a lot of challenging messages, and I hope with God's help I'll be able to use them for my good. After I got home (Sunday night), I was reading and the Lord gave me some thoughts.

I was reading in Isaiah 43, and came across verse 8: "Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears." We all have eyes, we all have ears, but do we really see and listen to what God tells us? Do the messages we're given fall on deaf ears? Most of us have grown up in the truth. We've heard countless messages preached and seen plenty of examples of Christ. Yet, recognizing that isn't near enough. No one wants to be deaf or blind, so we need to use our eyes and ears to learn what God is trying to teach us individually. The verse is more than just a challenge to us personally, it's also a call to enlighten those who are in a similar trap of the enemy. "Bring forth" means to bring them to a place where they can receive understanding and perceive God's guidance.

Symbolically, this verse (and some others in chapter 42) uses physical disabilities to represent our spiritual incapacities. Just because many of us are blessed with a good church to attend and the Bible to read doesn't mean that's all we need. Do more than just hear the preaching and skimming through the scriptures. Sincerely try to get understanding and apply the principles being taught to our lives while spreading it to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It is a real blessing that we have the songs we do in our hymnal. It's a blessing that we have the Holy Spirit lead in our services. It's a blessing that we have the Bible to teach us and guide us in all truth. It's to our own detriment that we would neglect these things. Isaiah 42:20 says "Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not." That's not the person I want to be, and with God's help, I can hear, see, and follow where He wants me to go.