Visually Impaired - Martin Wiles

He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. Isaiah 53:3 NLT

Without them, my world is one big blob of indistinguishable faces and blurry images. 

While some wear glasses with plastic frames simply because they think glasses are stylish, such wasn’t the case when I first got glasses. Wearing glasses wasn’t popular. The derogatory term for those who did was “four eyes.” I endured the agony of being labeled. I was visually impaired and could do nothing about it but endure the agony of rejection and blurriness. 

Forty-five years later, things haven’t changed much. My blurry world remains the same if I remove my glasses. Recently, my cornea specialist diagnosed me as being in the early stages of glaucoma. Additionally, I was diagnosed with dry-eye disease. 

The Messiah’s rejection came because those living at the time were also visually impaired—just not physically. Theirs was a spiritual impairment because they missed such prophecies as this one and majored on ones dealing with His conquering nature. 

What caused them to be sighted but blind can bring about the same result in my life. Pride can lead to visual impairment. The ancient Jews were filled with it. Jesus illustrated their prideful nature by telling about a Pharisee and a tax collector who prayed in the Temple. The Pharisee thanked God he wasn’t like other people, especially the filthy tax collector standing in the corner. 

Pride leads to a downfall every time. It is one of those sins God particularly despises because of the bitter consequences it can bring. Pride makes me think I’m better than others for whatever reasons I can concoct. The sin of pride brought Adam and Eve’s downfall, and it will bring one to anyone who lets pride creep into their lives.

Prejudice will also impair my spiritual vision. Most of the ancient Jews thought they were better than their Gentile neighbors. After all, God had chosen the Jews as His special possession. Though God had a special plan for them, the plan included their bringing Gentiles into God’s fold. Unfortunately, they often ignored God’s plan because they thought they were better than the Gentiles. 

Selfishness impairs my spiritual vision as well. When life is all about me, I won’t see God’s plan—even when it’s staring me in the face. Selfishness causes me to miss God’s best while keeping the focus on me, myself, and I. 

Are you walking around sighted, but blind? 

Prayer: Father, give us courage to put away those things that would spiritually impair our vision.

Looking for a wide selection of genres in Christian books at discount prices? Use coupon MWiles for 20% off. Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.