For all the spectacle wearers out there. Have you ever been driving down the road and you realize you have a smudge on your glasses? This can be quite annoying, especially in the dark. However, you continue to forge ahead, even with the spot in front of your eyes, because you need to get where you’re going. You feel that maybe this is something that you can deal with until you get to your destination. But as you continue on your way, you become more agitated, subconsciously, and feel the need to get rid of the spot. So, you take your glasses off to attempt to wipe the spot off. What to use to get this delicate job done, then becomes the question. Maybe with a corner of your shirt or if you have on an outfit that is a material that might be too abrasive, then you might possibly try getting a piece of your slip exposed to do the job at hand. You begin trying to maneuver, but as soon as you take those glasses off, you are reminded exactly why you needed glasses in the first place. You are as blind as a bat. Now you’re trying to find your slip, wipe the smudge as quickly as possible, all while driving. Trying to keep yourself in the white lines without hitting anything or being hit. At this point, you are definitely working blind.
I am married to a man who is a ‘jack of all trades’ and in my opinion, quite a ‘master’ at most of them. He has had to work on vehicles quite a bit, especially during our first years of marriage with older vehicles that no longer were under warranty. After forty years, he still on occasion, must put on his mechanic’s hat and change the oil, tires, spark plugs or other items that wear out on mechanical devices. Over the years I have seen him do this and always successfully. He has accumulated many tools, and is very proud of them all and will often ask, “Guess when I got this so and so?” However, although having the correct tools are awesome, when doing the work of a mechanic you literally are working blind. They must put their hand down in a hole here or there, feel for the screw that they are searching for, and often, they might as well close their eyes and think about what they are doing or be blindfolded, because they literally cannot see. To add insult to injury once they have everything taken apart, the new piece put in, or have fixed what they have intended to fix, they then must repeat the process in reverse to get it all back together again, without being able to see.
There are many species of animals that have very poor site. One being the bat. Thus, the expression ‘blind as a bat.’ This small mammal can fly when using its four limbs that become wings, and are the only mammal that can sustain flight, often times better than birds. They eat small pests, which assist in the need for excessive pesticides. Their dung called ‘guano’, is also harvested, and used as fertilizer, having high levels of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, which soil needs to grow plants, like vegetables. However, these small creatures have exceptional vision in the night, because they are nocturnal, but their eyes are three times as sensitive to light as a human, therefore, they cannot see well in the day light. Vampire bats don’t have eyes as we know them, but have to rely on sound waves to detect their food and surroundings. Moles are blind because of not having eyelids and because of this, they are over exposed to the sun and therefore the retinas are damaged, resulting in blindness. Oft times when our lives circumstances are less than best, and we flounder, we are working blind. We can see well when we are in our comfort zones, but not when things change or seem adverse. We must learn to trust the common sense God has given us and the leading of the Holy Ghost, in order to survive in a world where we are often working and walking blind.
We probably have a dozen flashlights in our house. However, most of the time, there are only one or two that are in working condition, because the batteries are bad. Therefore, they become useless to us. Though they may look cool, in assorted colors and styles, they have lost their usefulness. When they are not properly maintained, they are worthless. If they have not been put back where they belong after use, and you can’t find them, they also become useless. The same goes for our salvation. Whether, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, it is useful to us and productive only when it is maintained correctly. When we let our bodies falter, run low on energy, food, water, breath, etc., we become in an altered state. This is known as sickness, to whatever degree, and we could be put into a position of not being able to function correctly. Emotionally, if we become overwhelmed with the things of life and do not get the proper rest, and relaxation we need, we can become mentally unstable and be unable to handle even our smallest daily tasks. The same thing applies to us spiritually. If we run low on spiritual energy from not maintaining the spirit of God within us, our daily bible reading or prayer time, we lose our usefulness to ourselves and those around us in the world who are lost and dying and needing hope. They are relying on us to show them the way. The scripture states in Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” Those in the world still living in darkness are relying on us to show the way. 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Daniel 3:20-30 tells us an interesting story, “And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore, I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.” The wicked king’s blinded eyes were opened. God allows us to see things on a ‘need to know basis’, because He wants us to trust him and walk by faith. The three Hebrew boys did not know how God was going to deliver them, but they knew He would. God has given us his word to lead and guide us in every circumstance of life we might face.
2 Kings 6:10-23 tells another story, “And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore, the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speak in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore, sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” Then Elisha turns the tables on the enemy, “And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, my father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: would you smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So, the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.”
Oft times we do not know what the will of God is for our lives. Though we are searching for it, it may be too ambiguous, and can seem invisible. It can seem to be unattainable and unknowable, so that we cannot see the hand of God in our affairs. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 tells us, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” This is so that He can receive the glory and not us. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We are essentially working and walking blind because this is where our trust in Him is most demonstrated.
Just like the mechanic works from muscle memory, for instance, ‘righty tighty, lefty loosey’, closing their eyes and thinking about what they are doing and working by touch to get the job done, we must begin to do the same. We must begin to rely on recalling all the blessings of God. When we are faced with hardships, we can think back and say to ourselves, “I’ve been here before”, and remember how He brought you out in times past and realize that He can and will do it again. Has he ever spared you from an accident, putting his guardian angels around you? Has He ever healed your body or the illnesses of your loved ones? Has He ever made a way in a situation, where you did not know how it was going to be resolved? We must bring these things back to memory, walking by faith, using our muscle memory, and conditioned response of trusting Him, and continue forging ahead. We know he is God; we know he is in control, we know that he is kept us, and we know he is a miracle worker, we know Him. John 14:16-19 tells us, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” Therefore, we can continue to trust him. Walking in the path that he set us on, and following his will even if He seems silent at the time. Stay on course, until he gives you different instructions, or a different course to take. When he gives us directions, he will provide for us the means of preparation that we must have to follow and accomplish it. When He calls us, he equips us with the tools we need. We must then maintain them and keep them in a useful state of repair and accessible like the flashlights.
Psalm 27:1-5 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” We have no reason to fear. He opens our eyes when we need to see and he blinds us from the harm that is around us, when needed. He also blinds the eyes of our enemies and keeps us from their malicious attacks. We may get a nick or a scrape here and there, but we will get the job done that we are called to do. 2 Corinthians 4:1-5 tells us, “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
Be comforted in the fact that God sees all and knows all. 1 Peter 3:12 says, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” Psalm 121:1-8 gives us this assurance, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keeps thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” Though we may feel alone at times or feel like we are working blind, rest assured that He sees and knows all and he is with you every step of the way. A poem by Mary Stevenson from 1939 goes like this,
“One night I dreamed a dream. I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.
When the last scene of my life shot before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.
“Lord, you told me when I decided to follow You, you would walk and talk with me all the way. But I am aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don’t understand why, when I need You most, you leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testing. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.””