“. . . the Lord Jesus . . . has sent me that you may receive your sight . . . —Acts 9:17 When Paul received his sight, he also received spiritual insight into the Person of Jesus Christ. His entire life and preaching from that point on were totally consumed with nothing but Jesus Christ— “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). […] Never allow anything to divert you from your insight into Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether you are spiritual or not. To be unspiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for you.” CHAMBERS
Paul had been doing what he believed was the right thing which was persecuting heretics (Jews who followed Jesus) , but it was the wrong thing .. He had a natural understanding of who Jesus was, that is until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Do you remember when you encountered Jesus? When you received your ‘sight’? Paul’s life was turned around … suddenly everything that he had been, everything that he had done .. meant nothing … Is that your experience as well?
‘But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ […]’ ‘(Philippians 3:7-8)
What do you consider to be valuable in your life? What are you willing to ‘count as loss’ for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Think back to the day you received your sight, the day you said ‘yes’ to Jesus… .. and now look around you … Are you where you imagined you would be on that day? Or has your vision dimmed … ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.’
I was talking with a Haitian pastor yesterday. He was sharing about a village in Southwestern Haiti near his home. The people of that village are destitute even by Haitian standards of poverty. He said that he has taken a number of people to that village to show them the need. Many have shed tears over the plight of the people in that village, but none have done anything to help them. I was reminded of Matthew 25 when the ‘goats’ asked Jesus, ‘Lord, when did we see You, hungry, sick, naked, thirsty, in prison?’ And the Lord answered .. ‘When you did not do it to the least of these, you did not do it to me. Depart from Me!’ It is so easy to feel compassion, that doesn’t cost us anything. But it is an entirely different thing to act on that compassion. Acting on compassion is costly .. it can turn your whole life upside down.
Do you need to make an appointment the eye doctor, Doctor Jesus? He always has room for one more patient. Get your eyes checked so you can see clearly .. and then listen for the Spirit to say ‘this is the way … walk in it.’ Then do what He says to do and remember that it’s 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
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