Benefits Of Closing Your Eyes

Psalms 46:10a: Be still, and know that I am God: . . .

Being still is more natural when my eyes are closed.

What we hear and understand is more important than what we see. There are some things that we can understand better with our eyes closed. Having our eyes open can sometimes provide distractions from truth that we hear. Those that I minister to in nursing homes sometimes chide one another for being asleep when they are actually not asleep. I sometimes understand that they are taking the beauties of God*s truth to a place deep inside themselves. And of course there are times when their eyes are closed because they are asleep. In a sense we can see farther with our eyes closed. We cannot see God*s spiritual beauty with our eyes, only with the eyes of our hearts.

Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I believe that our sight is more naturally connected to our minds, while our hearing is more naturally connected to our hearts and our understanding. Our sense of sight does not go as deeply into us as our sense of hearing. Our sense of sight is shallower. A change of mind may or may not lead to different behavior. A change of heart will. A change of mind does not go as deeply into us as a change of heart. What we see changes from moment to moment. We forget most of it. What we hear and understand has a better chance of staying with us, especially what we hear and understand with our hearts.

Luke 6:45: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

There is a closing of our eyes that is an attempt to hide from truth. Kind of like putting our head in the sand. That closing of eyes is connected to a closed heart.

Matthew 13:15: For this people*s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

The blind man in John chapter 9 must have had his ears open to acquire the wisdom and faith that he had. He certainly didn*t acquire wisdom through his sense of sight. It is more important for us to keep our ears open than our eyes.

John 9:30-33: The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

The world around us has been defiled by sin. There are times when we are better off not seeing it.

Romans 8:22: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

And of course there are times when you better have your eyes wide open. I do not doubt the expression that a picture is worth a thousand words. But that is only true if the picture is seen with understanding. The picture must be studied for a long time to find a thousand words. I like better the expression that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Titus 1:15: Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

Care to discuss Benefits Of Closing Your Eyes with Ron?

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