Eye Salve for the Wretched

It is becoming increasingly clear that I am in desperate need of eye salve. Revelation 3:18 says, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” Many years ago, God granted to me a peek at my miserable guilty condition before His perfect righteousness and eyes to recognize that Jesus died as my substitute. He also gave His word to me so that I could learn about Him and teachers to guide and encourage me in that process. He has even given me glimpses into His glory though seen through cloudy glass and I have rejoiced to see it. But why do I sometimes lack joy? Why do I sometimes not recognize the absolute glory in the cross? Why do I sometimes have a cold heart? Why do I share the gospel in such small measure? Why do I not delight more in God’s righteousness? Why isn’t God saving more people that I am praying for or better put, why does my intercession lack the zeal that penetrates heaven? Now I know from reading the Bible that God is altogether glorious and that there is a much greater reality all around me that is unseen by the human eye. In II Kings 6:8-23, there is a story that illustrates this. The king of Aram sent his army to search out and destroy Elisha, the prophet of God. Picking up the story in verse 15, “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” We see from this passage that there is a real world with great forces that cannot be seen with the human eye. This theme is found throughout the Bible. For example, Ephesians 6:12 says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Why do I spend most of my hours living as if this unseen world does not exist? But it is not just this unseen world that is obscured. Even more important is my inability to see the beauty of God in much greater measure. The Bible says, “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” and “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (II Corinthians 3:18 & 4:6). What enabled Elisha, Paul, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and the Apostle John to see the unseen world and God‘s glory? Why are we so spiritually hindered from seeing these days? Should we just accept our blindness or see it as something that God is able to and wants to change? I am convinced that if Jesus would apply His salve to my eyes, the following would happen:

-I would see God’s righteousness more vividly and my eyes would find it altogether wonderful.
-I would see just how deeply God loves me and my heart would be at complete rest and comfort.
-I would recognize more clearly just how my sin was an offense to God and the great sacrifice required to remove it.
-I would recognize more accurately my current need of God’s grace to live each moment.
I would proclaim the gospel more and with more passion because its view is altogether glorious and cannot be held in.
-I would pray with intense fervor for God to shake the heavens and come down (and thus more souls would be saved)

If Jesus would only put some eye salve on my eyes, I would see His beauty more clearly and be delighted in all of His wonder. I would recognize the oncoming attacks of the enemy and be better prepared to do battle. I would hate this temporal world for all of its deceit and see the folly of taking comfort from it. I would have a heart that shares the intense passion of God for His glory. I would desire the things He desires more than I do now. My passion would drive me to plead with God for the souls of men, for the advancement of His kingdom. I would seek His Kingdom and His righteousness on my knees in prayer until it becomes visible to the human eye.

“You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:17-20).

Jesus, please give me eye salve at any cost to my physical comfort in this life!!



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