God Can Open The Eyes Of The Wise To See What Is Hidden
When you spend some time in nature, you quickly discover that animals, reptiles, insects, and birds could be almost invisible to the untrained eye. Their ability to camouflage their whereabouts is often quite remarkable. God made them this way to protect them from predators and human hunters.
However, when you have the unique opportunity to walk in the forest with a veteran hunter or a nature photographer, you quickly learn to discern the creatures from their camouflage! You realize they are hiding in plain sight, often within arm’s reach of the ignorant wilderness wanderer.
Before you can see better, you must become aware of your inability to see, really see, what you need to see. This awareness will require a certain level of humility and teachability. You must acknowledge that there are ways to look and see if someone can point out what you have been missing!
All you have to do is admit that you want to learn how to discern what you struggle to see. How often do we go without wisdom because we are too busy or proud to ask for help?
The psalmist realized that the truths contained in the Word of God are often not apparent to the casual observer. Like the layers of an onion, there are many levels and layers in the Word of God. Only the Author of the Book can reveal what lies hidden beyond a quick scan of the text.
If you have ever studied poetry in a high school English class, you will know how many opinions the students have regarding what the poet was trying to say in her creation. It is challenging for the reader to see the poet’s intent when the poet is not in the room to explain their work. However, as believers, we are not in the same situation.
We are not far from the Author. The Lord is right here with us, even indwells us by His Holy Spirit, and we may ask for clarification of His Word as we read it! The psalmist wisely requested the Lord to open his eyes to see, truly see, what God intended for the reader to comprehend, and how it may apply to living a life of wisdom. If you ask God for His help, the Word of God will illuminate your understanding. It will teach you and, at times, rebuke you.
When you see what God wants you to see, His wisdom will sharpen your vision for your own life. God’s wisdom will help you to discern between right and wrong. You will know how to think and act in difficult situations.
God can open up your eyes to things you’ve never seen before. Even if you’ve read the Bible from cover to cover, you must embrace the fact that it is alive, and it will actively comfort and confront you in new ways each time you read it. When Holy Spirit breathes on certain parts of the Bible, the words will linger in your awareness. It will invite you to contemplate and change your attitudes and lifestyle choices.
Be challenged today to look at the Word of God with fresh eyes. You may have missed something in the Bible in previous times. Ask the Lord to peel back the layers of truth. Ask Him to instruct you how you may please Him even more.
The practical wisdom you overlooked before may be the key to opening the doors to a better tomorrow. Go back. Reread those holy words. Ask God to help you see the many truths hidden in plain sight. You will become wiser than your years!
Excerpted from The Daily Christian: Wisdom by Iann Schonken.
Action Steps
- Think about your favorite scripture verses for a moment. Pick one of them and read it in your Bible one more time. Ask the Lord what you have been missing all this time when reading that scripture. Now read the verses before and after to understand the context. Ask the Lord how you could better apply this scripture to your life.
- Think about your typical response to an annoying person in your life. Is it possible that you do not see everything you need to inform your response to that person and their actions? Ask God to teach you how to handle that situation better from His Word. Things may get a lot better in the future. Wisdom asks for God’s perspective on pervasive problems.