Do You Believe?

Posted 2/4/2004 4:10:21 PM

Do you really believe in the reality of a spiritual world? That the physical is merely a shallow shadow of a deeper reality? Obviously, we miss the importance of the spiritual world, because we don't usually sense it, with any of our physical senses.

The Bible pulls the blinds apart a few times, giving us a glimpse of what is actually happening all around us:

• Balaam's donkey, though entirely physical, was justifiably frightened of the angel of the Lord in Num 22:22-35, because it obviously was able to do harm to her or her rider.
• The Lord answered Elisha's request, and revealed His army to Elisha's servant in 2Ki 6:17, and then just as simply turns the enemy's army's sight off 2Ki 6:18 and on again 2Ki 6:20. It seems as though Elisha was used to seeing the army of God - did he really see them, or did he simply believe his Lord's promise of protection?
• David, to his shagrin, saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and sky, about to continue His judgment into the city of Jerusalem 1Chr 21:16

Yet, with all the angelic and heavenly power seething around us, God chooses to work differently. And since He has chosen to do so, all the angels and demons must abide by His wishes. God has chosen to use weak physical beings, even by our own perception, to demonstrate His power rather than through the spiritual powers all around us. 1Cor 1:27-29, Eph 6:12, Job 2:2

Are you eyes open to the power of God?

• Do you see the wonderful treasures of His Word? Ps 119:18
  
• Do you see and desire the light of God rather than the darkness of sin? Act 26:18
• Are your spiritual eyes open and fixed on the hope and riches of Christ's inheritance for us? Eph 1:18

or, whether a Christian or not, are you eyes closed?

• Are you stuck in a dungeon of dark despair, not seeing a way out? Is 42:7
• Are you blindly going through the motions, hoping it counts for something? Mat 23:19
• Is your effectiveness in God's service hampered by a lack of vision? Is 59:10

Even the best vision fails without proper care. Our eyes get old, they get weak. Spiritually, we can cloud our vision with pride, with complacency, or with our own selfish desires:

• Pride is sin Pr 21:4, and portends a fall Pr 16:18
• Becoming complacent leads to self-destruction Pr 1:32, Ez 16:49, and leaves those around us needy and neglected.
  

All verses in this article