Open My Eyes Lord

Sometimes incidents and sometimes individuals give us great pain. One of my favorite characters, Booker T. Washington, once said, “I will permit no man to narrow and degrade me by making me hate him.” Resolve to let no individual or incident narrow and degrade your soul.

“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath.” If you harbor anger it may lead to rebellion against God.

Inordinate anger blocks the road leading to blessings God has in store for us. It inhibits our vision of good things that might be.

We profess to want God’s guidance. However, only when we do what He has instructed us to do will He guide us to do more. Understanding God’s will is very much like driving a car at night with lights on. You can see only so far. However, as you drive further you can see more. If you stop your extended vision ceases. When you go as far as you can see you can see further. Go as far as you can see and you can see further. When we do what God reveals for us to do then He reveals more for us to do. This He does in strange ways.

If we are not doing His will why should He reveal more things for us not to do. Doing His will increases the range of our faith beams. God often does simple things to significantly reassure us.

From the dark hours of World War II emerged the story of an humble French pastor and his family that lived through those difficult years. The mother in the family hand wrote over 200 Scripture promises and kept them in her “promise box.” Each day the family drew out a promise and reflected upon it together. 

During the most difficult of days during the war food became scarce. They resorted to eating potato soup made from peelings scavenged from German dining halls. The children became emaciated; they cried for food. In one of their most desperate moments the young mother cried out to God for reassurance. She prayed, “Lord, I have such a great need. Is there a promise that is really for me? Show me, O Lord, what promise I can have in time of nakedness, peril, and sword.”

She was blinded by her tears as she reached for her “promise box” and accidentally knocked it over. The promises showered around her, on her lap and on the floor. In a moment of supreme joy she realized that all the promises were indeed for her in the very hour of her greatest need. She was refreshed to remember that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. His promises are intended to refresh and renew us — to restore our soul.

Pause and resolve these three things.

I will permit no man to narrow and degrade me by making me hate him. I will do what I know to do and anticipate more to know and do,

I will be sensitive to God’s shower of promises every day.