Blind Bartimaeus desperately wanted physical sight. He was marginalized and suffered because he could not see. But there is a blindness that creates an even greater disadvantage. Spiritual blindness restricts our access to what God has for us. Here are eight of the things we miss by being spiritually blind.
1. God’s Provision
Genesis 21:14-19.
Hagar and Ishmael entered a wilderness with nothing but bread and a bottle of water. When the water ran out, so did Hagar’s hope, and she abandoned her son to a death she assumed was imminent.
Although there was a well, Hagar could not see God’s provision right there. God had provided an entire well to refill their bottle several times! She would have missed this provision, and her son would have died, had God not opened her eyes.
2. God’s Protection
2 Kings 6:8-17.
Elisha was a prophet led by God, but his servant was spiritually blind and carnally driven. So, when the Syrian army surrounded Elisha, all he saw was the demise of himself and his master.
Though fiery chariots and horses were abundant, He did not share Elisha’s confidence. Thankfully, after merciful prayer was offered on his behalf, he could finally appreciate God’s protection.
3. God’s Presence
Luke 24:31.
After three and a half years with Jesus, the disciples seemed to forget Him in three days. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus drew near to two disciples who did not recognize Him. It was only when “their eyes were opened” that they knew Him.
The number of years since our conversion does not guarantee revelatory knowledge of God. He alone can usher us into intimacy and worship. Without His gracious opening of our eyes in a church meeting or our quiet time, we will miss God’s presence just like those two disciples.
4. God’s Direction
Numbers 22:1-33.
Balaam was on a mission of self will, but only his donkey could see God’s opposing angel. Three times the ass saved the misguided prophet; three times he insisted on continuing. It was only after God opened Balaam’s eyes that he finally saw the angel.
Balaam almost died because of spiritual blindness. His lack of spiritual sight prevented him from discerning when God was saying ‘no’. His spiritual blindness caused him to miss God’s direction.
5. The Devil’s Devices
2 Corinthians 2:11.
When we are spiritually blind, we are ignorant of Satan’s weapons and intentions – and an enemy undetected cannot be effectively resisted. Spiritual blindness gives the enemy an advantage over us.
We need spiritual vision so that wherever Satan is at work, he will be recognized and his plans foiled – we won’t walk blindly into traps or entanglement.
Interestingly, Paul mentions this in the context of forgiving a brother who had fallen into sin, and who needed to be restored.
6. Our Spiritual Condition
Revelation 3:17.
The Laodicean church thought they had everything. Jesus thought they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. What a difference in opinion!
Could Christ be saying the same thing about churches and individuals today?
We need spiritual eyes to acknowledge our real condition. Spiritual vision is a critical need for recognizing our true state before God and to repent. Without spiritual vision, we miss out on who we really are, and fail to identify where we need to turn.
7. Biblical Revelation
Psalm 119:18.
In Psalm 119:18 the writer asked God to open his eyes. He was not referring to his physical eyes, because it takes spiritual perception to appreciate, understand and delight in the word of God. It is possible to read the Bible without revelation, and sadly, some Christians find the Bible boring!
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law,” is what our prayer should be. If we fail to see the truth and joy in the Bible, we are missing out on fellowship with the Lord, and will certainly lose out on spiritual growth.
8. True Leadership
Luke 6:39.
If you offer to help a blind man cross the street, he takes for granted that you are able to see. Otherwise we have a really undesirable situation. Hence, Jesus taught that if the blind lead the blind, both will end up in a ditch.
Spiritual leaders owe it to their followers to have open eyes. We miss out on being able to offer true spiritual leadership to others when we ourselves are blind. The final result is detrimental to both the leader and the one being led.
Closing
If we consider how valuable our physical sight is to our safety and independence, then we will understand the necessity of our spiritual vision. Abundant spiritual blessings coupled with a real enemy make having spiritual sight nonnegotiable. Let us press into this prayer: Lord, open my eyes!
