“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18,19).
I’m intrigued by Paul’s prayer that God would enlighten the eyes of their hearts. Hearts don’t see very well. Hearts don’t have eyes.
So I wonder, what can you see with your heart?
- When my eyes see someone who looks a little rough around the edges, my heart can see with compassion. That person has a story that I haven’t yet heard.
- When my eyes see someone sitting alone, my heart might see someone who needs a friend. Or at least acknowledgement that someone notices them.
- When my eyes see death, my heart sees the living family and friends who will miss them.
- When my eyes can’t see those who live far away, my mind remembers their faces and voices, and in my heart they seem so close.
Paul’s metaphor refers to those things that are real even if you can’t see them with your eyes. Things like hope, a future, and divine power. So much happens in this world that is completely out of our control. Yet, we have hope, because we know God has a handle on it. The future is so uncertain. Yet, we know God guarantees us a future. We might feel helpless, yet his divine power gives us strength.
Our faith vision — that is, the eyes of our hearts — is 20/20. Christ’s resurrection is a pair of glasses that helps us see a meaningful past, a wonderful future, and a hopeful today.
Waite for it... 