EYESIGHT

         Have you ever wondered what it is like to be blind ? Having to
miss out on seeing all the wonderful things of this life?  But, even
more important, losing that sense that directs so many of our thoughts
and actions.  Without our sight we lose much of the direction that is
needed in our physical life. 

         Our spiritual life also has eyes and eyesight.  When we didn't
know Jesus, we were considered blind and helpless. Consider for just a
moment Acts 26:18

            "To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness
            to light and from the power of Satan unto God that
            they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inher-
            itance among them which are sanctified by faith that
            is in me."

But when you accepted Jesus a very wonderful thing took place.  It is
described in Ephesians 1:18
  
            "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
            that ye might know what is the hope of His calling
            and........"


Jesus, himself has words to say about the eye.  Matthew 6:22,23

            "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore
            thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full
            of light.  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body
            shall be full of darkness.  Therefore the light
            that is in thee be darkness, how great is that         
            darkness."

            
         Well by now I guess we are all agreed on how important our eyes
are to both our physical and spiritual lives. I now want to spend just
a few moments on one great danger to that eyesight.  Rebellion is a great
danger to our spiritual life as a whole.  But rebellion to our parents has
a rather special danger.  Let spend just a moment considering this thought.
Please take a moment to read and consider the following scripture.
Proverbs 30:17

            "The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth        
            to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall
            pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."

'Wow', I can hear you say.  'If I do these things will a real bird come and
attack me?'  No, but something will come and slowly pick at your spiritual
eyesight.  You see, when you do these things, disobeying your parents and
etc, you are flirting with spiritual separation.  The raven picks at its
victim's eyes.  The same thing happens as these sins of rebellion begin
to show.  The Evil One, who feeds on destruction, can see this rebellion
and proceeds to attack the victim's spiritual eyes.  Little by little
this damage mounts and along with it the types of rebellion as the eyesight 
becomes dimmer and dimmer.  Just as it is with the ravens, the bigger birds
arrive to finish the work.  The destructive temptations result in larger
rebellion which finish the job.  Complete blindness and complete separation
(lack of fellowship) from God sets in.

         The question right now is; where are you in this process?  Are you
just at the beginning?  Or well along the way?  In either case, take a moment
to think of the horrible results of continuing.  Pray and ask God not only
to forgive you as you confess these sins, but to give you a greater love
and appreciation of your parents and greater strength to obey them as you
should. God bless and keep you.