Eyes Wide Open

Eyes Wide Open

I remember when my sister and I were young and had to walk home, crossing busy streets. Although she was the younger of the two of us, she was always watchful and extremely careful. More than once, she pulled me back to safety just in time to avoid an oncoming car. “Didn’t you see the car coming?” she would ask.

But I was casual and untroubled. Ignorance is bliss—or is it? Not for my sister, who had to watch me put myself in harm’s way. 

To see clearly can be either a blessing or a burden, depending on the consequences. In the Garden of Eden, there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In His love, God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from it. Yet the serpent tempted Eve, saying that if they did, their eyes would be opened and they would be like God.

As we know, they ate the fruit—and the first thing they saw was their own nakedness. They had been created good, but now they felt shame. With their eyes wide open, sin entered and took hold of their once-perfect lives. In that sense, not knowing good and evil had been a blessing; it meant living in harmony with a holy God.

However, there are times when our eyes should be open—and yet they are not. When that happens, we can fail to recognize what is right in front of us. This is what happened on the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ resurrection. Two men, filled with sorrow, were discussing recent events when Jesus Himself came near and walked with them. He asked why they were troubled, but they did not recognize Him. Their eyes were closed.

They explained everything that had happened, and Jesus responded by calling them slow to believe what the prophets had spoken. Then He began to explain the Scriptures, revealing what they said about the Messiah—about Himself. Still, they did not see. Only when He blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to them were their eyes opened. Imagine that moment of realization—they had been walking with Jesus all along and almost missed Him.

The Bible teaches that when hearts are hardened, ears are dull, and eyes are closed, we miss salvation and healing of the soul (Matthew 13:15). This is a dangerous condition, one with eternal consequences. Yet God also tells us that through Christ, our eyes can be enlightened so that we may know the hope of our calling, the riches of our inheritance, and His power at work within us (Ephesians 1:18).

That is what it truly means to have eyes wide open.

Ignorance is not bliss—it is the absence of awareness and wisdom. I am grateful my sister watched over me when I should have been looking out for her. These days, I am far more careful—not only when crossing streets, but in paying attention to the things that truly matter.

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know..." Ephesians 1:18

Looking Beyond What You Can See

 Looking Beyond What You Can See

Have you ever gazed at the horizon, where the ocean meets the sky, and wondered where it truly ends? From the shore, we see only a faint line separating them—a line that is never fully certain. No matter how much we squint, the sky and ocean seem to blend together. And yet, they remain distinct, constantly influencing one another: wind shapes the currents, and the ocean’s evaporation brings rain to the land.

Similarly, the Bible tells us that the heart is the source from which every part of our life flows. Our actions, words, and decisions are rooted in the heart, and the heart, in turn, is shaped by the choices we make each day. A moment of complaining may seem small, but repeated over time it can become a habit, replacing gratitude and trust with discontent. Conversely, a heart filled with joy in Jesus leaves no room for complaint.

Like the ocean and sky, the heart and life are intricately connected. That is why God commands us to guard our hearts above all else. Protecting our hearts is essential to living the life God has planned for us. When our hearts are filled with God’s Word, joy, faith, and trust, our choices naturally align with His will. When we neglect this, however, our hearts become vulnerable to the influences of the world—the sights we see, the words we hear, and the actions we take. Every choice either strengthens our faith or diminishes it.

Watch over your heart with the vigilance of a soldier stationed in a tower. From this vantage point, dangers can be seen early, allowing swift action to protect what matters most. Neglect, however, leaves the heart exposed—and a life unguarded is a life at risk. 

 "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" Proverbs 4:23