Today’s Scripture: Mark 8:24-25
When Jesus asked the blind man if he saw anything, he responded, “I see people; they look like trees walking around” (Mark 8:24). Apparently, he had some idea of what people and trees looked like, either because at one time he had his sight, or his friends had narrated clear descriptions for him.
His sight may have been restored, but his vision was clearly distorted.
Have you ever jumped to conclusions without knowing the full story? You thought you understood all the facts, but later learned your understanding was distorted? Yeah. Me, too. Then we find ourselves cleaning up the mess we made because we didn’t wait long enough to see things clearly. Why do we do that?
Sometimes our hidden biases slant the facts. Or we prejudge or misjudge based on unpleasant experiences or incorrect teachings. We need a pure heart before we can have clear vision. And it might require more than one touch. Maybe that’s what the prophet Isaiah meant when he said, “Those who [wait upon] the Lord . . . will soar on wings like eagles . . .” (Isa. 40:31). If we wait long enough, the Lord will change our hearts so we can rise higher than our biases and see things from a clearer vantage point.
Don’t rush God’s work. Wait.
- What hidden biases may be clouding your vision? How can you let the Lord examine you so you don’t see “men as trees walking”?
- How easy or difficult is it for you to “wait upon the Lord?” What would you see differently if you saw from the eagle’s vantage point? How can you rise to that place?