How to Keep Our Eyes Open for God
Keep your eyes open.
Maybe we keep a lookout on our neighbors’ house while they are out of town. Perhaps we look for a friend’s lost pet.
Or, we watch for a specific job ad in the paper or online.
Yet, to keep our eyes open sometimes proves difficult. Like when we are sleep deprived. Or, during a scary movie or gruesome video.
And when using eye drops. Anybody else have a hard time with this?
But to keep our spiritual eyes open often proves most difficult of all.
Similar to how we were once spiritually blind to salvation, we open our spiritual eyes to God’s presence and His work in our daily lives.
Similar to how we were once spiritually blind to salvation, we open our spiritual eyes to God's presence and His work in our daily lives. #EyesWideOpen Click To TweetPsalm 105 in The Message says this:
Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek God. Live a happy life! Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles…(Verses 1-5a, emphasis added).
Maybe we tell others of all the great things God has done for us. And we praise the Lord for every deed or blessing from His hand.
Yet, we miss the second vital part. We fail to look for God’s presence Sunday through Saturday, 24/7. We forget to watch for God to display His wonders in our lives today and every day.
This passage gives us insight into how to keep our spiritual eyes open.
Keep Our Eyes Open for God
Not wishing to see what lay ahead, I kept my eyes closed. College friends talked me into riding a roller coaster at Disneyland. Let me be clear. I’m fearful of heights, and not a fan of going upside down or dropping off steep inclines.
Life causes twists and turns, flips our world upside down or drops us from a steep incline. Still, God is with us through it all, always along for the ride and by our side. He holds onto us as He accomplishes His purposes in everything about our life.
Because the Lord’s purposes are the God-things He has for us and our loved ones. Even the small, yet, still miraculous things happening daily. There are divine happenings we’re often unaware of that point directly back to God. There’s simply no other explanation.
Keep a Watchful Eye for God’s Works
When my husband and I pick up our grandson to spend the night, he watches from a window for us to arrive.
While he waits, he likely anticipates the adventures that await him at Mimi and Pop Pop’s house. Both regular, consistent activities and new ones.
In the same way, do we watch for God to arrive at just the right moment? Or, do we anticipate what adventures await us with our heavenly Father? So do we watch for the Lord’s activity in our life, His wondrous works on display in our lives?
Due to God’s divine power, encore performances of His mighty works happen each day of our lives. Encores by grace, peace, hope, goodness, love and mercy.
And miracles in heavenly places. Things only God can pull off.
Due to God's divine power, encore performances of His mighty works happen each day of our lives. Encores by grace, peace, hope, goodness, love and mercy. #EyesWideOpen Click To TweetKeep a Lookout for Signs of God’s Presence
The shrill beeping from my iPhone startled me in the middle of the night. A flash-flood alert. (Alert: “quick to see, understand,” Cambridge English Dictionary).
Are we missing alerts from heaven? Or, are we quick to see and understand God’s presence among us?
God provides signs He performed a supernatural act, sent us on a divine appointment, scheduled a soul-encounter or protected us from harm with His angels.
God provides signs He performed a supernatural act, sent us on a divine appointment, scheduled a soul-encounter or protected us from harm with His angels. #EyesWideOpen Click To TweetOur Spiritual Eyes
Let’s keep our spiritual eyes open for God, God’s works, and signs of His presence.
Do you relate to any of my examples of difficulty in keeping your physical eyes open? How about your spiritual eyes?
And let’s really see God, because He sees us.
Read my article: What Big Eyes You Have! God Sees Me
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Literacy Musings/Tell His Story/Purposeful Faith/Recharge Wednesday/Worth Beyond Rubies/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected/Candidly Christian and Faith On Fire.
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When I keep my eyes, ears and heart open to God, I am comforted and blessed. I love how God sends us nudges as reminders to go to Him in every moment. From the beauty of His creations to the every day moments, He shows His love for us in many ways.
Melissa, I like how you added opening our hearts and ears to the Lord. These are important as well to hear and feel those heart-nudges “to go to Him in every moment.” Thanks for sharing!
I love your thoughts on keeping our eyes open for all God is doing in us. It amazes me to see His hand everywhere when I look. I am keeping my eyes open for His return someday too. Thanks.
Yes, Yvonne. We continue to keep our eyes wide open for God-things in our lives as well as the return of Jesus. “Lord, open our eyes to YOU!”
Karen, I loved the illustration you used here of your grandson eagerly waiting at the window, watching to see his Mimi and Pop Pop show up, anticipating the adventures and fun that lies ahead! May we all be as watchful and expectant that God will, and does, show up in big and small ways when our spiritual eyes are open.
Blessings!
Thank you, Martha! I so desire that expectant excitement and hope as I watch and wait for God in any situation and any moment of my day.
I can SO relate to this post! A time of tragedy in our family about thirty years ago left a scar. We lost so many things that teachers in our early Christian life had told us would NEVER happen to believers. I know recognize that they were false teachers. We had relocated, and so we stumbled around, alone in a new town where no one knew the wounds we carried. Then a preacher from out of town said the words we needed to hear to begin to heal, and we started the turnaround back toward the Lord and healing, learning to examine the Scriptures and to seek truth on our own.
When I read this question: “In the same way, do we watch for God to arrive at just the right moment?” I realized that the scar still impedes my watching. Watching for God to arrive at just the right moment is exactly the needed obedience and healing that heals us of our wounds, no matter our past scars and experiences. To watch, we take the step of obedience, no matter how we feel. We trust the truth that we know about Jesus. When his disciples are afraid, he acts immediately. Thanks be to God!
Melinda, this is beautifully said, my friend: “Watching for God to arrive at just the right moment is exactly the needed obedience and healing that heals us of our wounds, no matter our past scars and experiences. To watch, we take the step of obedience, no matter how we feel. We trust the truth that we know about Jesus. When his disciples are afraid, he acts immediately. Thanks be to God!”
So true, if the Lord has shown me anything this year with a dark valley-experience and 2020 in general is how important it is to stay close to Him, in His Word, prayer and worship, and to be obedient even when the feelings of wanting to aren’t there. Like with forgiveness, I forgive because the feelings will always follow the act of obeying and not vice versa. And even if the “feels” never come, we still walk in obediance to obtain the abundant life meant for us on this earth. So we watch with eyes wide open!
Karen, I loved this. Present is my One Word for the year, and God’s shown me a lot about being present and about Him being present in my days. I love looking for glimpses of His handiwork in my days. And this post was such a great reminder of what my heart attitude should be: that of a child eagerly looking for Him to show up and take me on an adventure. 🙂 I loved the photos you used to illustrate this post!
Jeanne, I want to look for His handiwork daily! As you said, with the heart of a child eager in anticipation of what is to come! Thank you!
I love this translation of Psalm 105! I have been struggling this week with insomnia and migraines and have had to work hard to see God’s power and glory. Indeed, my friend, it is there if I open my eyes! Early in my Christian journey, I remember a song “Open Our Eyes” that mirrors the message of this blog. Love it!
Hey Candice, I had forgotten about the song, “Open Our Eyes” but I remember it! So sorry you have not felt well this week. Praying over you!
I love those verses in Psalm 105 and your post. Keeping our eyes open to see the works of God and see where God is working to join Him is so important. When we keep our eyes on Him we will find Him and see what He is doing.
This: “When we keep our eyes on Him we will find Him and see what He is doing.” Yes, Stephanie! Thanks for sharing!
Learning to use our spiritual eyes is a wonderful blessing in itself. We can see how involved God is in our everyday lives. 🙂 I’ve learned that all of my senses help me to keep my spiritual eyes attuned to God’s presence in my life. I hear, feel, and see Him working in my life, both within and through others. What a wonderful reminder Ms. Karen. Thank you ma’am.
Agree, J.D. Sweet Cathy Baker has taught me a lot about spiritual senses with her devotions and blog articles. And I like seeing how “involved God is in our everyday lives.” Even when He’s working behind the scenes we “sense” how He’s doing a work for our good and His glory.
Amen, amen, amen, Karen!! Our eyes must always stay open and willing to see what God needs us to see, and our hearts must always be ripe and ready to break. God gave us these powerful tools for a reason. Beautiful!
This is good, Jessica, “…our hearts must always be ripe and ready to break.” Lord, open our eyes and hearts to You and Your hand in our lives!
I love that thought of divine encores! May we have “eyes to see” His hand at work all around us.
Right, Barbara?! We can all imagine a concert where we hoped the band or musician would come back for an encore! How poweful to realize we never have to beg God for encores. Due to God’s divine power, encore performances of His mighty works happen each day of our lives. Encores by grace, peace, hope, goodness, love and mercy.
Powerful teaching, Karen! This is so true. In much the same way that our eyes need to be opened to salvation, so we need to keep them open to God’s hand at work in our daily lives. I really need this. If I don’t stop and count my blessings and thank the Lord, I can easily see only the unanswered prayers which leaves me feeling empty. Gratitude is a game-changer and it begins with wide open spiritual eyes. May we see His hand at work in wonderful ways today!
Gratitude is a game-changer in looking and watching for God to work…in whatever way He chooses in our circumstances and lives. Even if it doesn’t line up with what we hoped. He knows best and He’s the best Father.
One of the ways I keep my eyes open to God and His activity is to be saturated in His word every day. This practice makes me attentive and causes me to see more than I would if I neglected reading. We can miss so much because we are easily distracted as human beings. I love your analogy of your grandson waiting for you and your husband. With expectation, he waits. What a great picture of how we should be looking and waiting for our God. 🙂 Thank you for a great post, Karen! (By the way, my husband and I are called Mimi and Pop pop, too.) 🙂
Hey Marcie, love that you and your husband are Mimi and Pop Pop too! 🙂 Yes, I agree wholeheartedly, the Bible is key in not only hearing and discerning the voice of God and the Holy Spirit’s teaching, but in keeping our eyes wide open to His mighty acts in our lives. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Karen, such a good reminder to not stop looking for God to work, yet not giving up when His timing is not ours.
Definitely something I need to remember especially these days!
Ava, I need the reminder as well. Praying to watch and look for God to work. He continues to show me how His timing really is perfect, how it’s for my good and His glory.
Hey Karen, Thank you for the words of inspiration and encouragement. I love this line, “There are divine happenings we’re often unaware of that point directly back to God. There’s simply no other explanation.” It’s something I know and also need to be reminded of daily. We all need to “keep our antenna up,” as a favorite college professor used to say, and be on the lookout for how He is working in our lives and the world around us.
Love this!
Jed, I like that line, “keep our antenna up.” We often attribute small and big miracles to happenstance or coincidence. But I don’t believe in coincidence. Instead, I know my God is working behind the scenes, always on my behalf and for my good. Thanks for sharing!
Karen I love the photos you use of the children using their eyes. These pictures help further to emphasize your points here! I am a visual learner so, seeing the colors, images, and movements always encourage my learning. Thanks!
Such a great point, Diane. While faith is often about the unseen, God still intends for us to learn great lessons in the visual.
yes, amen! So true!! We have to keep our eyes on Him and really it takes focus and intention to do that, especially in this very distracting culture and in my own distracted heart!! That’s why I am always having to lkeep coming back to renewing my mind with Truth and memorize Scripture! Thank you for this post!
Mariel, Amen to this: “…I am always having to lkeep coming back to renewing my mind with Truth and memorize Scripture!” That’s good. If we fail to fill our hearts and minds with Scripture we jeopardize missing what God is doing around us!
Lovely post, Karen. I agree that it’s so important to keep our spiritual eyes open for God. It’s easy to get complacent and sleepy, but our drowsiness doesn’t promote spiritual growth. I want to stay wide awake!
Lisa, you said it beautifully. We all relate to trying to keep our eyes open when we are sleepy. But spiritually, we need to stay awake to watch for the works of our Lord who never slumbers!
I want to live this way, eyes wide open, standing at the window like your grandson. (Ours do the same thing!)
Isn’t it a sweet and powerful image of expectant excitement and hope for what is to come?!
Karen,
Your post reminds me of a worship song – Open the Eyes of My Heart. Oh that I would have the expectant anticipation that your grandson has!! There are so many things that only God can pull off. I don’t want to be so distracted that I miss them. Great reminders and encouragement for these days…
Blessings,
Bev xx
Bev, someone else mentioned that song, which I had forgotten about. When we open our physical and spiritual eyes to God’s works, it’s looking though the lens of a whole hearted devotion to Him.Thanks for your comment.
Amen Karen!!
God bless, Kristi Ann. Let’s keep our eyes open for the Lord and His righteous right hand!
Karen, it’s easy to focus on how bad everything seems in the world right now, so I appreciate this timely reminder that God is always at work around us. Has there ever been a time when keen spiritual eyesight has been more critical? Probably not in our lifetime, I’m guessing.
I agree, Lois. And I like how you note keeping a keen spiritual eyesight is often critical, like the days in which we are currently living.
To see with a thankful and grateful heart…such a good reminder, thank you!
Sharon, thankful and grateful hearts play a key role in our spiritual vision. Thanks for sharing!
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