I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked that question as a pastor. Why can’t my husband see what I’m talking about when I’m telling him about God? Or why can’t my parents understand when I mention things about where they will spend eternity? Why can’t the people I work with see a one world government ready to take over this world?
The only way to understand that problem is to go to the bible itself. The bible tells us that this problem is spiritual, not intellectual. Until you come to believe that, you may be the most frustrated person on the planet. You can explain to someone the things of God until you are blue in the face, but you have to realize that they are blind spiritually. You can tell a blind man that that apple is red, but he has never seen red and so doesn’t know what you are talking about. And if a person’s heart has not been touched by the Holy Spirit yet, he can’t see what you are trying to explain either.
Spiritual blindness is something that has effected all of us at one time or another. The Apostle Paul describes the problem in Ephesians 4:17 ”Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” Notice the words Paul uses to describe the unbelievers of that day. Futility of mind. Darkened in their understanding. All words to describe a total lack of understanding or blindness. Once we understand that this is a spiritual problem, we won’t be so frustrated by trying to win, or overcome some one intellectually.
The power in communicating spiritual things comes from prayer. God prepares the heart. As a matter of fact, it’s God the Father Himself who brings us to Jesus. John 6:37 says, “ All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” So it’s the Father who brings people to Jesus. How does He do that? Through a series of circumstances and the movement of the Holy Spirit to allow people to see Jesus. The Apostle John actually tells us how the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us in John 16:8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. No wonder Jesus was praying all the time, it’s where all the power lies. Have you been frustrated with a loved one or friend over the subject of God? Try praying earnestly and watch the power of heaven get lit up. It takes the burden off us. Be praying that God would give you an opportunity to be part of that process. Be attentive to the Holy Spirit about when he wants you to speak, and when He wants to do the speaking, and watch what God can do. This is the way Jesus did it, we know He’s not wrong. Only the Father can make the spiritually blind see. No wonder Jesus told us to pray without ceasing, this is where the power lies.
Matt 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
Matt 21:22 “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Amen, and amen…In the gospels, Jesus spoke in parables. When his desciples asked him why he spoke in parables, Jesus said, “It has been given to you, but to them it has not been given (I am paraphrasing) So in seeing they won’t see and hearing they won’t hear.” Mat 13:10-13:13
In other words, the one who receives and responds will gain even more insight, but the one who doesn’t respond, even the little understanding he has will be taken away.
In Mat 13:14-15, Jesus speaks of prophecy being fullfilled, fullfilled completely in Him.
I like how John Courson asks the question. “Why would God send Isaiah to preach to people who wouldn’t listen or respond to him? Because God is a perfect gentleman, and He will not force His will on anyone. He will honor the decision of those who don’t want to be saved. Jesus spoke in parables because if He spoke plainly, His presentation would have been so powerful that everyone would automatically be converted—many against their will.
He could have mobilized the entire country. He could have swept everyone up in what He was saying. But He bowed to humanity’s freedom of choice. “If I speak in parables, those who don’t want to see, won’t see. Those who don’t want to hear won’t hear.”
Jesus taught believer and non-believer alike in order to determine who was truly blind. The light was shining for those who wanted to see. But those who chose to be wicked wouldn’t see the light, and it would only prove their blindness.”
Hi Steve,
Just read 2Tim.2:25 & 26 “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves :if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil,who are taken captive by him at his will.”
Notice it says,”if God will give them….” We have to keep praying for those blind eyes to be opened and God is the One who will open them. The Holy Spirit will convict of sin as we pray.
Love & prayers,
Val
Hi Steve:
Your back-up scriptures on this blog-dealing with prayer spoke to me.
The intercessory prayer that we are to have for others is so so powerful and necessary. Jesus was always getting away to pray and I do believe his #1 item was for his men. That seems to be the biggsest thing of prayer for Paul.
Jesus knew the heart of man-we appear to be okay or spiritual-but-things aren’t always what they seem.
This reference to prayer so encourages me too,because things really get out of control at times-and this relationship we can have with God in all things or circumstances is a truth to chew on then to really apply.
Kind of like looking forward to a great-big juicy cooked steak as Justin Alfred referred to the other day!!!!!!!!
God bless you Pastor Steve-Don
HI Pastor Steve, Very encouraging, this confirms what the Lord has been telling me about speaking to my brother, of course I have been praying for him for years, but I need to wait on the Lord for HIS timing to speak and what to say, not just blurt out a bunch of deep spiritual truths and tons of scriptures, sometimes all it takes is one sentence, and just listening, and letting him know we care for him.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver. Prov. 25:11