Blind

 “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send?  Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the LORD?"  - Isaiah 42:18-19


My eyes have recently been open here while in Georgia.  I realized I've been a bit blinded.  


Around Atlanta, you can't drive a couple of miles without seeing someone from the homeless community.  Every time I see someone, I still react in shock.  The man my father's age pushing his belongings in a baby stroller pains my heart when I see him.


So how am I blind?  There are displaced people in Dallas.  I've served them and worked with them.  There always seems to be this one guy on the corner of Forest and 75.  What makes Atlanta so different?  Have I become use to the idea that there will always be people living on the streets?  I hope not!  Have I become comfortable with my lifestyle and not lacking three meals a day?  I think so!  


This idea of being blind doesn't always manifest itself in a refusal to see; I think blindness today is more a "use to" or comfortableness within our lifestyles that doesn't keep our eyes open to the injustice in the world.

Keeping our eyes averted from the ugly in our world is comfortable.  It allows us to remember more of the good in God's creation, and not the sin happening.  I don't watch the news reports here and thus am not exposed to the violence, vandalizing, and other evil going on in my own community.  I close my eyes to the sin going on around me not because I am ignorant of it happening, but because I want to think happy thoughts.


There are numerous times in the Bible where God calls his people to stop being blind or deaf to his will.  Think of how he spoke to Jonah; Jonah had his eyes closed, his fingers in his ears and was probably singing "la la la" in order to be blind to God.  It took some dramatic actions on God's part in order to open Jonah's eyes to his calling.  In the verse from Isaiah, God is wanting his people to "WAKE UP!".  In this case, they are admiring some false gods, and if you didn't know, our God is a jealous God. 


My prayer of late has been along the lines of, "WAKE UP!"  I pray God keeps me uncomfortable so I can see the ugly injustice in this beautiful world and DO something about it.  I pray He uses me to the greater glory of His work, in whatever way that looks like.  I pray my eyes stay open.  I would encourage you to ask yourself, "what am I blind to and how can I open my eyes?"  You might be surprised at what you haven't seen in awhile, I was.  


Prayer:

Open my eyes, that I may see

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready my God, Thy will to see,

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear

Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;

And while the wave notes fall on my ear,

Everything false will disappear.

                                             Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready my God, Thy will to see,

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear,

Gladly the warm truth everywhere;

Open my heart and let me prepare

Love with Thy children thus to share.

                                             Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready my God, Thy will to see,

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine!