Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim BurtMy youngest son, Matthew, needed glasses when he was very young. I remember times I would look at him, staring in disbelief at how smudged he let his glasses become—yet still tried to see through them. I suppose it was normal for his young age. He simply didn't care, and it never seemed to bother him. Renee and I were constantly asking for them so we could clean them. We simply wanted him to be able to see better. They were so smudged and dirty it was amazing he could see anything at all.At times, I feel like I'm surrounded by Christians who have their spiritual eyes heavily smudged. There are so many truths and promises that they don't seem to know that would strengthen their faith and bring so much more peace to their lives. And in most cases, I think that spiritual eyes get smudged because Christians don't read their Bibles or get to church and hear the word like they should.The world along with all its sin, problems and drama, has a tendency to smudge our spiritual eyesight every day. I imagine God feeling like I did with Matthew, always wanting him to hand me his glasses so I could help him see more clearly. God's word is like a miracle-cleaner that cleans the smudges from the eyes of our understanding, and helps us see life and God's promises more clearly, and through the eyes of faith. Reading His Word, the preaching of the word of God, and tools (like Fresh Manna) help clean our spiritual glasses daily—if we will yield to that.The Apostle Paul prayed about that saying,Ephesians 1:16-19(NIV) "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength..."When trouble shows up in your day and quickly puts a knot in your stomach, and you start feeling anxious, wondering how you are going to deal with the situation, your spiritual eyesight becomes severely smudged and you can't see a solution. Instantly, your anxiety grows. But then you open up your Bible, and your eyes fall upon a verse that speaks to you.Isaiah 54:10 (NLT2) says,"For the mountains may move and the hills disappear,but even then my faithful love for you will remain.My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”says the LORD, who has mercy on you." It makes your heart jump with a spark of hope! You read it and then read it again, and as you do, it's like the eyes of your understanding are wiped clear. It instantly feels like a warm blanket on a cold day or the comforting hand of God reminding you of His love and covenant with you because of Jesus. Maybe someone along the way told you that you had to read for an hour or pray for an hour to connect with God. It's not true. You might be reading your Bible for two minutes, and something from God's word speaks to and encourages your heart! Stop there and meditate on it for a minute. Let it lead you into taking another minute to pray and thank God for encouraging you and increasing your faith. It's not about the amount of time. It's about the connection with Him frequently. It's a spiritual hug of thanks to Him, asking Him to lead you in His Word and increase and strengthen your faith! What the Apostle Paul prayed was that you could spiritually see more and be strengthened!I pray that for you today also! Let God's Word improve your heart's eyesight so that you move from anxiety to peace, greater strength, and a deeper appreciation and love for God and His love to you through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Ephesians 1:19 (NLT) "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him..."
In His love,Pastor Tim Burt
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