The Devotional - 1528 - Ears to hear and Eyes to see.

The Devotional – 1528 – Ears to hear and Eyes to see

Last week I overheard two ladies in their mid-fifties discussing the subject of shopping for clothing. As the conversation progressed one finally said to the other; “I do not know why there is such a fuss among the young women of today! I can still fit into the same earrings I wore in my second year of high school!” “That’s true” said the other… “But at your age; you do look a bit odd with those big gold loops and Minnie Mouse swinging in the middle of them”. A little laughter is good for the heart from time to time but there is another side to this and it goes like this. “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance (face). But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13.

Comments and Challenges  

I have not always enjoyed looking into the face of people; the main reason is that the “face” is normally looking back. Faces and eyes tell many stories; well not in detail, (who wants details? Oh yes, I forgot there are those “busy bodies” who like to soak up the details – 1 Timothy 5:13) yet in general the eyes and countenance of a person reveal integrity of heart. Now I know you have been in these shoes, we all have at one time or another; you meet someone and look into their eyes and you see a certain clear and clean countenance. It is a chilling moment and may possibly feel insecure.

As relationships develop, it will matter little if Minnie Mouse is swinging her heart out between your friend’s eyes and nose. What will matter most is how the two of you develop a bond of friendship toward each other in the years to come. The apostle John in his epistle of 1 John gathers his thoughts around this subject in his opening statement. 1 John 1:1 – That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the WORD of LIFE.

Then again, this same apostle on the Island of Patmos says this: “I, John both your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the LORD’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet” Revelation 1:9-10 and now verse 14. “His head and His hair were white as wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire”.

Question: Should we be seeking to know the LORD Jesus as the apostle John and the others did? Yes, we should be seeking to know HIM this way too. How then should we do this? Psalm 119:9-10 is one “first step”. The great reward of the Word of Life is to allow the countenance and cleansing power of Jesus Christ to cleanse us of errors in understanding, cleansing us also from those secret faults that Jesus sees with His eyes like a flame of fire. Also we can add that the “fear of the LORD” is clean, enduring forever. Psalm 19:7-14. The statutes (promises) of the LORD are RIGHT for us, these rejoice our heart and clear our conscience of dead works.

When we fail the burden of our mind and soul to search out Jesus Christ in His “Word of Life” we are missing a countenance that can look people in the eye and say “I love you” even with those silly earrings. There is not a day that passes by that Jesus willingly looks first to His Father, then to you and says in prayer: “and the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me – John 17:22-23