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The Power Of Vision

I wanted to see but couldn’t, so I made another trip to the front of the class.

Like any elementary age boy, I enjoyed the back of the classroom. Trouble was, when the teacher wrote on the chalkboard I couldn’t see. So I carefully crept through the middle of the aisles, copied the material, and made my way back to the desk.

I thought things were under control until the afternoon I was drilled by Mom and given a home version vision test. “Marty, I’m gonna hold this sheet up. Tell me what you can read.” That was nothing.

Life took a nosedive when the optometrist prescribed glasses and gave me the chance to choose frames-all ugly. But the abuse didn’t stop here. Laughter and cat calls of “four eyes” followed, but at least I could see.

Then there was our family vacation to Cherokee, North Carolina, where I discovered how important glasses were. Walking down the street with my parents and enjoying visiting every store, I decided to walk backwards. When I finally turned around, I met a light pole, bending my glasses beyond the ability to wear. The remainder of the trip was blurry.

Limited vision impairs; complete blindness is more challenging: Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)

When there’s no vision or revelation from God, we perish, cast off restraint, flounder, wander aimlessly, become disorderly, and literally run wild. It’s not that God purposefully withholds vision; we just don’t ask to see it. And when I don’t request God’s vision, I do exactly what the verse says: thrash, live undisciplined and lose focus. Life gets blurry just as it does when I remove my glasses.

God reveals his plan when asked, and following his roads-while sometimes overwhelming and difficult, always propels us into a bright future; one we could never envision without his glasses. Ask God to see what you never would otherwise.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we humbly ask for and willingly accept Your vision of our future.

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