Weekly Devotional : Blindness

Mark 8: 23-25 (NKJV)

So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

Last year I was diagnosed with a devastating eye condition called "severe keratoconus with corneal ectasia" (now that's a mouthful!). The condition developed as a result of complications from laser surgery to correct poor vision  I had 10 years ago. The deterioration was gradual so my brain compensated for my vision loss -  so much so that I didn't know there was a problem. You can imagine my surprise when, at my checkup, the eye doctor said, "Tracy, you are virtually blind. You will never see correctly again without the help of RGP contacts (the hard, uncomfortable ones) or a corneal transplant. And even after a corneal transplant, you will most likely need  RGP lenses. Glasses can't fix this, soft contacts can't fix this. I am so sorry. There is no cure."

Blindness that I didn't even know I had. I had "gotten used" to it and accepted it as normal. Until I was shown the truth, I didn't really think there was a problem. How like our lives! Even as Christians we can so easily slip into patterns, rationalize "little" sins, let things slide, and avert our eyes so slowly from Jesus and the Truth. Before long we are patting ourselves on the back, comparing ourselves to other Christians ("At least I am not commiting THAT sin!") or to the world ("Those people are disgusting and going to hell - I would never be like them!"), and becoming less and less like Jesus. We start to see "men like trees walking" - enough for us to just get by.

I believe Jesus cured this man "partially" at first for our benefit as much as the man's. He wanted to show us that we can think we are living according to His Word and teaching - but without ALL of Him, we are blind. When we embrace Jesus and surrender our lives to Him, we, too, are restored and see clearly.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, in this day and age where we are pulled, drawn and tempted on all sides by things of this world and even spiritual endeavors, we ask that You help us to SEE Your Son, Jesus - remind us when we are looking away from you, when we are focusing on ourselves and when we are slipping. Keep us close to You, open the eyes of our hearts to Your Truth, and show us those areas in our lives that don't please You so that we can be restored and can become more and more like Jesus. 

In Jesus' Name, Amen


{This weekly devotional is from Tracy of olsentrademarkcrafts.}