The Eyes of your Understanding

"The eyes of your understanding being enlighten; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" —Ephesians 1:18.

I was in pain almost a year ago; heart pain—that is. My heart was broken when the gal that I had been dating and had opened my heart to, suddenly decided she did not want me around anymore. I cried many tears and came to the point of wondering about God's purpose for my life. Today I ask you, have you ever felt this way? Have you ever looked around you and seen nothing but the shadows of doubt, fear, or defeat? I think every human being at one point or another, has felt this way. The book of Psalms is filled with heartfelt pleas, such as the following:

"Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek.' Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation" (27:7-9).

It is in times of darkness that we need enlightenment, but, how do we obtain it? —Simply by crying out to God in prayer, and seeking His help as our first line of defense. In addition to emotional enlightening, we also need spiritual enlightenment. What I mean by this, is that we not only need to feel God's presence near us —we also need to see and know that He is moving around us. Our outlook on life would be completely changed if we became keenly aware of God's presence and intercession on our behalf.
The Bible offers us the perfect example of spiritual enlightenment. The king of Syria was upset because someone seemed to be snitching on him, revealing his evil plans against Israel. He found out that the man of God—Elisha—received these revelations, so he sent his army to apprehend the prophet. Meanwhile, Elisha and his servant Gehazi were lodging in the city of Dothan. Early in the morning, the servant woke up to the frightening sight of the city being sieged by the Syrian army. He exclaimed, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" (2 Kings 6:15b). In response, a composed Elisha said, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (v. 16). And then the man of God proceeded to pray, "'Lord...open his eyes that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (v. 17). There would be no fear in us, if the eyes of our understanding were always opened to God's presence and protection in our lives.
It makes a world of a difference to know that God is on our side. For "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). In spite of our fears and sorrows, hurts and pains; sickness or diseases, or any other adverse circumstance —we can be assured that "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them" (Psalm 34:7). God is with us, always and forever; He is looking out for His children and has a definite purpose for your life and mine. Let us remain hopeful and encouraged to move forward in faith, today.

Your friend,
Abner E. Aguilar

Prayer: I thank you, Father, for your constant intercession and fighting on my behalf. You have always been there for me, and I know that you will never leave me. Open the eyes of my understanding so that I may sense and see your presence in my life, and know the plans that you have for me. In Jesus' name I pray —amen.