Open My Eyes That I May See!

Have you ever needed a reminder...no, a wake-up call, that everything happening around you might not be as bad as it seems? In this day of living through a world pandemic, it can be a tremendous challenge to see things as positive!

However, Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, tells the church then and the church now, that’s exactly what we should be doing. Here are God’s Words through Paul from chapter 5, verses 16-18, "Always be joyful. Pray regularly. In everything give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who are united with the Messiah Yeshua."

As I live here in Israel, read Old Testament history, and share this Good News of the Messiah Yeshua, with His chosen people, I am always amazed at their roller coaster ride. One day they were begging for forgiveness and when things began going so well, they could not help but exclaim, “Praise the Lord!” But soon their enthusiasm for their Creator began to diminish and the grumbling started again to the extent they would eventually beg to return to Egypt after having been rescued from slavery in that country.

Their vision was so blurred, they completely disregarded their former status, and the result was a condition that can only be described as unthankful.

However, before we become too critical, I must ask (and I encourage you to ask yourself as well) a personal question: what about me? How many ridiculous pity parties have I (or you) visited this year...this week?

Ah...how easy it is to miss what God has already done for us because we are so focused on a specific circumstance. There is no denial that circumstances can be life changing events such as the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, bankruptcy, foreclosure on our home and a COVID pandemic! As a result, blurred vision can become a quick reality.

The problem is if we don’t get our vision repaired, we will continue to dwell on the circumstance while forgetting a magnificent God who has taken care of us in the past and will continue to hold on to us in the future regardless of the circumstance. This is what God was saying through Paul to the Thessalonian church and is saying to you and me today.

Always be joyful. Pray regularly. In everything give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who are united with the Messiah Yeshua.

God is telling us not to allow the blurred vision of what this COVID pandemic has caused, like a decrease in funding for the mission in Israel, the challenges of traveling into, out of, and even around a country like Israel that has so many restrictive policies and rules, and the risks and real fears involved in catching the virus from others as you move about sharing this Good News of the Messiah Yeshua.

What’s the 20/20 vision of being joyful, praying regularly, and in everything giving thanks telling us? This 20/20 vision is telling us that we are joyful for the FIVE seekers who are currently being discipled for baptism over the next few months, that through regular prayer, God continues to open more possibilities among unbelievers seeking to know more about the Messiah Yeshua, and through all of this I need to give up my pity parties and “Praise the Lord!”

Oh Lord...open my eyes that I might see!

Rev. Dr. Robert M. Roegner is an Apple of His Eye Bible Teacher to Israel

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