RECOVER YOUR SIGHT
All of us have been given purpose by God. Purpose gives you vision. God knew you before you knew you. Your purpose is to discover Gods love for you. All of the specifics will flow out of that.
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified[a] you;I [b]ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
1 John 4:19
We love because He first loved us.
We live in an information saturated society. The acceleration of knowledge is multiplying faster than ever before. Living in this world full of distractions, appealing to our senses, can get us off of our purpose to be loved. Most of what we hear from this world is sensationalized in attempts to gain the affections of our hearts. Jesus dealt with the same in His day.
Luke 17:23
People will tell you, ‘Look, there He is!’ or ‘Look, here He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them.
Jesus warns us not to pursue externals for experiencing His kingdom. That is a carnal approach to experiencing your purpose. Whatever you give attention to, engages your imaginations and gives focus within your heart. If we are not careful we can lose sight of experiencing God because the affections of our hearts are engaged with so many external things. These externals can cover your vision and dim seeing your purpose. Having so much knowledge at our disposal can cause worry and care to get things done in our own strength.
Dealing with cares, worries, distracting thoughts
Mark 4:18-19
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the Word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.
It doesn’t say that you don’t have the Word or know the Word. It says it becomes unfruitful from externals choking the Word.
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Distractions are trying to get your eyes off of Jesus by focusing on externals. It is trying to create unbelief or doubt…the same root word where we get double. In your heart you are seeing two options, taking your focus off of your answer and trying to pressure you into performance, not your belief in the One who performed.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you.
The word “cares”= distractions or to part out, fracturing a persons being.
External knowledge is trying to get your eyes off of your purpose and take away from who God says you are. aka the big picture of Gods love for you! Choose to throw those anxious carnal thoughts upon Jesus. He took those cares on the cross for you.
Matthew 6:25 says do not worry or take no thought about your life.
This worry or thought means distraction. Taking means you have brought that thought (worry, distraction, doubt) as an external into the imagination of your heart.
Jesus demonstrated this reality when needing a miracle. The external was looking at the need for food for thousands of people. Jesus REcovered His sight with Gods perspective.
Mark 6:41 And when He had taken the five loaves and two fish, He looked up (recovered his sight) to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.
Jesus blessed –spoke well or good of what He had in his hand. He Recovered His sight!!! Some accounts say gave thanks. Looking up, recovering your sight and giving thanks can all be synonymous terms for moving your heart focus back onto the kingdom of God. Seeing things from God’s perspective on anything we have to deal with in life will lead us to thankfulness. Giving thanks puts your focus back on what God has done for you in Christ…that you are loved by Him and have a purpose that is important to be fulfilled by God in your life. It gets your eyes off of the distractions and puts the position of your heart back into His perspective. Thankfulness is a great heart indicator of Gods vision in your life.
Jesus did the same before facing the crucifixion in praying for us. He prayed that we would know (experience) Him. He chose to keep His eyes on His Father.
John 17:1-5
When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
Lift up your eyes, RECOVER your sight, and stay thankful!
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