Open My Eyes

   
Open the eyes of my heart Lord! Open the eyes of my heart.  In Hebrew, "your eyes will be opened," is a metaphor for knowledge.  Knowledge is power.  Especially, when God is imparting knowledge to you.  The changes that occur in your life due to God's knowledge in your heart is unspeakable.  You can't imagine the power that comes into your life with that knowledge.

    Hosea 4:6 states, " My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."  If the Bible states that knowledge is necessary to life, then why are we not beating doors down to gain it.  The more we attempt to learn and the harder we press for the knowledge of God, the better life we will have.
    The Bible is not just an incredible story.  It is a way to live your life truly devoted to God and His work.  I went to a Beth Moore conference this weekend, and I can feel the eyes of my heart opening up even more than before.  I learned so many new principles.  We studied in the book of Philemon and the message that Beth taught us was powerful.
    She taught us how to walk in the ministry of reconciliation.  She taught us how to be a community of believers.  She opened us to look at ourselves in a different view.  I realized in those moments that there is a work going on in my life.  God has purposed me to do great things in His kingdom.  The best part of it all, is that you have been given this same commission.  He wants you to walk with Him and share in the rewards and blessings, too.
    How do you increase your knowledge of God?  How do you fill yourself with Him and only Him?
    You take time and sit with Him.  You pray and ask for His wisdom and understanding.  You read the Word and take it in.  You love others, as He loves you.  There is a whole world out there that we remain unaware of.  The trials that you go through, someone else is experiencing them too.  There is opportunity to share the love of Christ daily.  Be a walking billboard for the love that God has showered on you.
    Tell the world about His blessings that He has given you.  Each person has gone through something.  Each person has missed it.  I do daily.  But, God is a God of second chances.  In Luke, there is the the story of the prodigal son.  He was a wastrel.  He took his father's inheritance to him, and blew it.  He ended up broke, and sleeping with the pigs.  A Jewish man sleeping with pigs.  If you  understand anything about Jewish faith, is that pigs are considered unclean.  So, to be feeding pigs or sleeping in their mire, you have lowered yourself to a distinct place of nothingness.  You are now in a pit and there is no one there to pull you out of it.  This son realized he made a very big mistake.  He went home, head-hanging low, to tell his father what he had done.  His father met him as he came up the road and hugged him. He threw a party for him.  He celebrated the return of this son.  His son messed up.  His son took for granted all that had been given to him.  This son laid in the mire of pigs.  But, he was graciously received back into his father's presence.
    We are that wayward child.  We have fallen short of the glory of God, but He is there waiting for us to return to Him with open arms.  He loves us.  He made a way for us to live in eternity with Him.  He sacrificed His only Son for us.  That is something that no earthly person would do.  Those of you who have children, would you give any of them up to save someone else?  God did, He put His Son on that cross for you and for me.
    I think that is amazing.  I feel so blessed that He loved me that much.  I encourage everyone to think on this today.  No matter what life throws at you, remind yourself that you are a blessed child of God.  He has your back, in the good and the bad.  He is waiting on you to come to Him so that He can love you.



In Jesus' Mighty name ,
Amen

Love in Christ,
Kristine