Deaf, Dumb, Blind, and Dead

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ ” Matthew 13:15 NIV   

 

     If your heart has become hardened and calloused by the world and your life’s circumstances, then there is a high probability that you have boxed God and all spiritual awareness and understanding completely out of your life. We are all by nature a stiff-necked and belligerent generation. If left to ourselves, we will certainly be our own undoing.

     Jesus tells us in the Scripture above that the key to healing, wholeness, and understanding is to turn. Turn from the wiles and ways of the world, turn from your past and past mistakes, and most importantly, to turn from yourself and turn to God. To truly be well in every way is to embrace the first and greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ” (Mark 12:30 NIV).

     Shift your focus off yourself and the world and instead onto Jesus and your blindness will be cured, your eyes will be opened, and you will spiritually see and perceive even into the invisible. Shift your attention from your past and clearly hear the words of Jesus resonating into the deepest chambers of your being, beckoning you onward. And as you now see and hear clearly, you must embrace the Lord your God with your heart and receive His full understanding.

     Turn. And let your healing and well-being begin.

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True Love at First Sight?

Only if you're looking at Jesus. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8). See God today. He's everywhere. I'm praying for you. www.jeffhoracek.com | #pureinheartseegod

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Think About Such Things

“The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last a long time, will undermine everything they do, and are their own fault. The optimists, who are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world, think about misfortune in the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case. The optimists believe defeat is not their fault: Circumstances, bad luck, or other people brought it about. Such people are unfazed by defeat. Confronted by a bad situation, they perceive it as a challenge and try harder.”

 

“One of the most significant findings in psychology in the past twenty years is that individuals can choose the way they think.”

            —Martin E. P. Seligman, Learned Optimism

 

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8–9 NIV

 

     To a large degree, you can train your mind and patterns of thinking, just as you can train your body with proper diet and exercise. Truly, the battlefield of this world is the war waged and won in your own mind. Whereas being always positive is probably impossible, overcoming negative thoughts is not. Put everything into its proper perspective. Do not dwell on negative thoughts for any length of time, and do not let them overtake you. Take control of them by shifting focus on what’s been learned, how that can be positively applied, the better possibilities that certainly exist, and take steps to move forward to the next better thing.

     Philippians 4:8–9 has the formula for us: think about such things, put it into practice, and the God of peace will be with you.

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Open the Eyes of Your Heart

See your hope, your riches, your glorious inheritance; and experience Christ's incomparably great power in your life! Just believe. I'm praying for you. www.jeffhoracek.com | #eyesofyourheart #believeinchrist

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The Eyes of Your Heart

     The popular praise and worship song, Open the Eyes of My Heart, written by Paul Baloche, is all about seeing, spiritually perceiving, and fully experiencing the holiness of the Lord in all His glory. Though our mind is the true center of our emotions, character, personality, and data bank of experiences, it is our heart and precious blood that keeps us alive and vibrant.  Hence, in ancient times and even into today, we equate our heart with the center of life itself and the wellspring of our soul.

     To see is to perceive and to understand and fully know. And our life-center must be spiritually connected to our Life-Giver. Ephesians 1:18–19a (NIV) says, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

     Open the eyes of your heart that you may be enlightened and fully understand and live in the hope and the incomparable power that Christ has already given you as an inheritance. See. Perceive. Understand and believe. Live in His hope and His power.

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In Focus

1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see only a reflection, only partially known. Soon, we will see Christ face to face, fully known. Persevere to the end. He's waiting for you. I'm praying for you. www.jeffhoracek.com | #focusonjesus


 "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

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Fast Focus

“I have a point of view. You have a point of view. God has view.”

            —Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

 

     Another fascinating fact of the eye is its ability to fast focus from very distant objects to very close objects almost seamlessly and instantly. Accommodation is what allows the eye to accomplish this in less than 350 milliseconds. When looking at distant objects, the crystalline lens of the eye, which sits behind the pupil (the iris) is considered to be at rest and in focus. However, when we look at close objects, more magnification power is needed to put them into focus and the crystalline lens responds by changing its shape by means of ligaments attached to a muscle, which increase its curvature and ability to focus at near. As we get older, our accommodation ability decreases (presbyopia) and we begin to need eyeglass lenses to help us focus at these close distances.

     Despite our amazing ability to fast focus at so many differing distances, we all have a singular perspective and point of view. So too, it is, with our experiences and journey through this life. We all have our unique perspectives and points of view. With God, however, His view is all-encompassing and complete, seeing everything throughout eternity—past, present, and future—perfectly from every angle and perspective. Nothing escapes His watchful eye and He already knows the end from the very beginning.

     Take heart in knowing that He is always watching over you and is just waiting eagerly to pour out bountiful blessings upon you. Here is a comforting psalm, Psalm 121, a psalm of God’s watchful eye and protection covering you:

 

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:1–8 NIV

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