Scripture:
- I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:17-19
Reflection:
I have a couple of family members that are color blind, or if I am saying it in a politically correct way, they are CVD, or color vision deficient! At family functions, we often quiz them about the color of a new shirt or tie, just to make sure they know the color. They are always “good sports” about it and go along with our teasing, but I often wonder what it would be like to be able to see vibrant colors. Our gracious God has filled the world with color. Creation really is amazing. Just think of all the thousands of colors on the thousands of different flowers that surround us in our gardens. Color really is one of God’s gifts to mankind.
Yet, as I read scripture, there is another kind of seeing that the Bible speaks of, one that is the seeing from the heart. Heart seeing is knowing something at the core of your being. The Apostle Pauls hints that our hearts can be either enlightened, or darkened in the book of Ephesians. (Ephesians 1:17, 4:18)
Having our hearts enlightened is an understanding that goes beyond the surface of what is obvious. It is a depth of knowledge that resonates deep in our souls. This enlightened heart is the kind of seeing that the Apostle Paul was praying for concerning the people in the church at Ephesus. He wanted the Spirit of God to give them both wisdom and revelation so that they could know God at a deeper level. He desired that they understand God’s gracious provision of hope and the power that is found in Christ and comes from the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. When the Spirit of God has pulled back the curtains so that the eyes of our heart see, it is at that moment we experience the “holy-wow” understanding God’s abundant grace and provision.
Those moments with God are precious and often life altering. When they come, the Spirit of God brings us to a new understanding, a new revelation that changes who we are as followers of Christ. We need more “holy-wow” moments like these. And the good news is that we can have more of them, but only if we want them. Jeremiah said in chapter 29:13,14 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD.” God does not hide from us, yet we must seek him, and seek him with all our hearts. Then the eyes of our heart will see things that will bring new color to our walk with God and new strength and power in our days. May our hearts be enlightened, seeing all that he wants us to see!
P.S. I cannot even imagine what seeing color for the first time might be like, but here is a fun video of a new husband seeing color for the first time after receiving color correction glasses from his bride on their wedding day. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUtoevhiQaU). May this be like our hearts seeing all that there is in Christ Jesus.
Prayer:
“Lord, please give me, my family and those close to me the gracious gift of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in order that we might know you better. Pull back the veil that covers our understanding of your purposes in our lives. May we know the hope to which you have called us and may we know the riches found in Christ Jesus.”
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