Opened Eyes

Bill Brinkworth

I have been asked several times, “How do you know there is a God?” Even recently I was Opened spiritual eyes questioned about this by an atheist.

Although some claim to have seen God, their testimonies often do not align with the Bible. Often their story changes when questioned. From what the Bible says, no one will see the Father, but by faith many of us are assured that He is as real as if we have seen Him face to face.

There are many answers to how so many billions are assured there is one God. Just looking around and seeing His creation can only point to a Creator. There is no real scientific proof that we evolved from a bunch of randomly arranged chemicals. It takes a lot of imagination and an unproven faith to believe a living organism, with all of its thousands of functions and abilities, could happen by chance or by natural selection.

Many happenings in this world and in our lives also point to a heavenly Father that orchestrates society and our lives. One soon sees divine intervention in society, our own lives, and quickly rules out that they are just a coincidence.

Although these ways and others show that there is a living, loving God intervening in our lives and keeping all around us in control, there is one primary reason one can know that there is a God. It is when one first takes a blind step of faith and believes what has been foretold in God’s divinely preserved Holy Word, that God opens our eyes that we may see that He is real, alive, loves us still, and is working all about us.

We learn from the Bible:
That, although we may have reasonable vision, we often do not see the obvious around us until God opens our eyes to see what He wants us to see. Hagar fled into the wilderness, and was prepared to die of thirst, until God opened her eyes to see a solution to her dilemma.
“: And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.” Gen. 21:19

At times, especially when we are out of fellowship with God, we do not see His intervention in our lives until God opens our eyes to see what He is doing. The prophet Balaam did not realize it was God’s intervention that was keeping the prophet from further disobeying the Lord.
“Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.” Num. 22:31

God opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant to see that he was surround by God’s invisible protection.
“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” II Kings 6:16-17 Also: II King 6:20.

Blind eyes were miraculously physically opened, and the blind saw. God got the glory for doing the miracle and allowed blind people to see.
“And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.” Mat. 9:30
“And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.” John 9:14
“And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus … 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.” Acts 9:8-18 Also: Mat. 20:34

God opened eyes to see and recognize the resurrected Christ.
“And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” Luke 24:31

God can open the eyes for people to understand His Word and other spiritual things.
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” Ps. 119:18
“To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” Isa. 42:7
“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 26:18
“Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.” I Peter 1:12

As I told that atheist we were talking to, there are many things that God can open one’s seeing and recognizing eyes to see what He has done, and what He is doing. Once one steps out by faith and trusts Him for salvation, so many of His wonders and workings will be revealed for the believer to see. That is why it is so hard for a child of God not to understand why many in the world do not even know there is a God, when He is so real and working in our everyday lives. God has opened so many eyes to see His wonderful daily workings.

“Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand.”