Eyes to see. Ears to hear.
That is what Jesus advocated to His listeners when He taught on the earth. He was referring to a spiritual awareness that physical eyes and ears alone cannot discern.
While the crowds that followed after the Lord clamored for physical healing and food, their real need was spiritual. Nothing has changed in 2,000 years. Most of our prayers focus on the physical and material, but our greatest challenges are spiritual.
Like Elijah’s servant, it is easy to be overwhelmed by what we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and grasp with our mortal minds. Even with spiritual discernment, some witness the trends and trajectories in our society and yield to discouragement and despair. Certainly, there are spiritual forces of darkness raging all around us and winning many battles, because the Earth is still Satan’s domain.
The category of Spiritual Signs contains many negative examples of that sad truth. But “we are not of night nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5b). So, we recognize that the Holy Spirit has also given us wonderful positive signs of God’s providential protection and preservation.
As you consider this particular category of signs, hold tight to the wisdom we have spoken of before. Christians are not optimists, because they see the world as it is, and know it will grow ever darker. They are not pessimists either because they know the end of the story. Instead, they are people of eternal hope. Our hope is not some fragile thing made of gossamer and wishful thinking. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
The Lord Himself is our Blessed Hope.
Linger on that last line for a few moments. Pause right now and lift up a prayer of thanksgiving and praise. If the great negative and positive Spiritual Signs threaten to overwhelm you as you read the May/June 2023 edition of the Lamplighter magazine, quiet your heart and stand on the solid Rock. He will ever be your Hope and Stay!
