What a Sight!

By David A. Sargent

     A few years ago a young mother, Jessica Sinclair of Bridgetown, Ohio, noticed that her 10-month-old daughter, Piper, was having issues reaching her milestone of crawling. She brought this to the attention of Piper’s pediatrician. “At her regular pediatric check,” Jessica reports, “they did an eye screening and saw that she might have had a slight astigmatism.”
     An appointment was made with Dr. Josiah Young of Opticare Vision Centers. Dr. Young discovered the problem. “Her eyes checked out healthy, but come to find out she didn't have an astigmatism; [she was] extremely farsighted,” said Jessica. “Her one eye was +7.00 and the other is +9.00. So we got her glasses made and the Opticare team helped with the choosing and fit of the glasses.”
     A week later, they went back to Opticare to pick up Piper’s glasses. The technicians put the glasses on to Piper’s face only for a second to make sure they fit properly. A little later, they would find out if the glasses really helped Piper’s vision.
     After leaving the Opticare center, Piper and her parents decided to go out to eat. While sitting at the table at the restaurant, they decided to put the glasses on Piper to see her reaction. They made a video and posted it onto Facebook. The video has gone viral with millions of viewers. Here is a link to the video with commentary by Lester Holt of NBC Nightly News: http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/babys-adorable-reaction-to-seeing-clearly-for-first-time-483679811629
     The video shows Piper initially offering resistance as her mother places the glasses on her face. But when Piper looks through the lenses and is able to see clearly for the first time, she stops squirming and starts beaming with smiles as she looks carefully, back and forth, to her mother and daddy!
     In John 9, we read how Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth. This miracle caused quite a stir among the religious leaders because it was done on the Sabbath day. The religious leaders viewed Jesus’ actions as a violation of the Law of Moses. The formerly-blind man was amazed that they were so biased against the One who had clearly demonstrated that He was “from God” (vs. 30-33).
     Jesus later found the healed man and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him (John 9:35-38).
     Do you “see” Jesus?  Do you believe that He is the Son of God?
     Examine His claims, His teachings, and His works. Start by reading the book of John.
     Then, if your heart is open, you will “see” through the eyes of faith that Jesus IS the Son of God. You will also “see” that God sent Jesus to this world to die on the cross for your sins and for mine, so that we can be saved and live eternally with Him in heaven (John 3:16).
     Do YOU believe that Jesus is the Son of God? If so, then place your faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from your sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38). Then, follow Him all the way to heaven by walking in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).
     There are none so blind as those who will not see.

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled "Living Water." To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org