Opened Eyes
When the curtain is drawn, the room is flooded with light—just as God’s truth is revealed to the one who longs to see.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Photo Credit: Unsplash
T. Austin-Sparks invites us to examine the difference between intellectually understanding the things of God and truly seeing them by revelation. It is not reason that opens the eyes—it is Christ Himself. From the beginning of spiritual life to every stage of growth, our vision must be born out of divine encounter, not human comprehension.
The devotional reminds us of Bartimaeus, who cried out all the more when others tried to silence him. That cry was not merely for physical sight, but it symbolizes a desperate longing to see the things of God. Sparks warns that such seeing does not come casually—it must be deeply desired. God waits, not to tease or withhold, but to awaken in us a valuing of what is being offered: not just knowledge, but living insight into God’s eternal purposes.
And the invitation doesn’t end at conversion. The devotional paints the Christian life as an ever-widening ocean of God’s purposes, and we’ve barely gotten our feet wet. Yet we often walk away from messages or spiritual experiences content with agreeing, rather than pursuing. Sparks calls us to cry out again—“so much the more”—until our eyes are truly opened to the riches of His revelation.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I see your heart when you listen to My Word. I know when you nod in agreement but walk away unchanged. I long to show you more—layers of My wisdom, depths of My love, the intricacies of My design for your life—but I wait to be wanted.
Like Bartimaeus, your soul must cry out—not because I am far away, but because crying out reveals what you treasure most. I have not hidden Myself from you, but I do wait to be sought. When you seek Me with all your heart, you will find Me. And not just a glimpse of Me—but the kind of seeing that brings life, light, and joy. I reward those who hunger after Me, not with mere answers, but with Myself.
There is always more of Me to see. The eyes of your heart were made for beholding glory—not once, not occasionally, but continually. If you feel dry after a message or a moment in My Word, don’t settle for agreement. Let your heart rise with longing. Give Me no rest until your eyes are opened again. Revelation is not a reward for the disciplined—it is the delight of the desperate. You were never meant to survive on knowledge alone. You were made to live by light.
Come to Me not as one who reads for understanding, but as one who yearns to see the unseen. I will open your eyes. I always do.
Scriptures referenced: Matthew 20:32–33; John 17:3; Acts 9:18; Jeremiah 29:13; Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 1:18
🧺 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like entering a dim room in the early morning. You sit for a while, and slowly, your eyes adjust. At first, you only make out shapes. But when you rise and walk toward the window and pull back the curtain, light floods the room—and suddenly you see everything that was there all along. God's truth is like that: it’s not new, but when the curtain is drawn by His hand, it becomes alive to you.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that seeing is not earned by effort, but granted through intimacy with You. Thank You for not leaving me to rely on my reason but for giving me eyes of the heart to behold Your truth. I trust that You are not hiding Yourself from me. You are drawing me deeper into Your light. Today I rest in the confidence that You delight to reveal Yourself to those who seek You. And I do—because You first sought me. I will not settle for anything less than all You desire to show me in Christ.