C2J Weekly: "Open Eyes, Part 2"

This is the sixth of a twelve-part series, "His Eyes." In this series, I'll be observing how our eyes seem to respond to the light and perhaps we may be able to get a better idea of how they should work. It is my hope that with His eyes, we will be able to see the path on which we run, thereby learning how to effectively run this race.

In Amy Grant's song, "My Father's Eyes" she depicts the way she wants to be remembered for. Above all else, the vocalist prays that they would have the eyes of their Father. They contrast it with beauty, accomplishments, and popularity, because they have found that being known for reflecting Him is a treasure that lasts after death. If we have a better perspective, investing in the eternal instead of the temporal will be just a part how His eyes shape us.
In the chorus, a line reads, "Eyes that find the source of help, when help just can't be found." Consider this: if our eyes are open, we will always have hope because we will see Him. Eyes that are opened by God naturally look to God. So though we will feel the pain of this broken world, when we turn our eyes upon Jesus, it will be eclipsed by the grace of our good Lord. That hope that He gives because our new eyes do not merely see this world, but rather they focus on the Author and Perfecter of our faith can triumph over the darkest of circumstances because we will be in agreement with the Lord. The power of the Resurrection will be in full view of those who receive sight from Him & by that we will find a hope that will never fade.
In my own life, the ability to see the world has occasionally proved painful. When I look outwards, the broken state of humanity presents itself in an ugly fashion. My heart breaks to see His beloved running from Him. I can personally recount many nights spent crying over man's worst exchange: when we traded God for depravity. However, there have times when I also saw Him move through the very lives that were once so lost. To see the redemptive attribute of love overcoming our human shortcomings overwhelmed the doubts that tried to take hold. In the darkest of times, He always provided a reminder of His grace so that hope we cling to could not die unless I closed my eyes.
So as a believer, it is not only helpful for you to open your eyes, but also necessary if you are to reflect your heavenly Father. So don't use the blind eyes of your past, but take for yourselves the eyes He gave you, fashioned with His scarred hands and purchased for you through His blood. It is my exhortation to you, that though the world may be badly broken, you will open your eyes, take in all the glory of His light and allow the Redeemer to shine through you.
Thought: "How beautiful the radiant bride... with His light in her eyes." -Twila Paris, How Beautiful