Understanding How God Wants Us to See Beyond the Obvious
The Bible tells us that God sometimes does things so amazing, we wouldn’t believe them even if someone tried to explain them (Habakkuk 1:5). Jesus often talked about how important it is to truly listen and pay attention—not just with our ears, but with open and willing hearts. He explained that people who are open and curious about God will gradually understand more and more, but those who shut their hearts will lose even what little understanding they have. That’s why Jesus spoke in stories (parables)—many people thought they were searching for truth, but their stubborn hearts kept them from really getting His message.
A lot of us just go through life trusting only what we see and experience every day. But if we only look at the world with our physical eyes, we miss out on the bigger picture—what’s happening in the spiritual world. God wants to show us the deeper realities of His Kingdom so we can thrive, not just survive. Jesus tried to share these truths with people, but many couldn’t understand because their hearts weren’t open.
Throughout the Bible, God’s people often struggled to really hear, see, and understand what He was saying. Their hearts became stubborn, and they stopped paying attention to God. Because of this, they missed out on seeing what God was doing. The prophet Isaiah described this kind of spiritual blindness perfectly—people listening but not understanding, seeing but not really seeing with their hearts.
We don’t want to make the same mistake. God is doing things today, and He invites us to join Him in spreading hope to a hurting world. The Apostle Paul prayed that God would open the “eyes of our hearts” so we could fully understand the hope, inheritance, and power God has given to those who believe in Jesus (Ephesians 1:18-22). Spiritual sight means being able to see what God is doing, even when it’s not obvious in our everyday lives.
But sometimes people get off track. Paul warned that our understanding can become dark and confused when we ignore God or let our hearts grow hard. Many people may go to church or call themselves Christians, but if their hearts aren’t open to God, they can become numb to the truth and miss out on real spiritual life.
The good news is, God sees every part of us, even the broken and hurting places we try to hide. He can heal us, but we need to be honest with Him and ask for help. God’s love is beyond anything we can imagine, and He is always faithful to keep His promises.
The word “vision” in the Bible means more than just seeing with our eyes—it means really understanding, perceiving, and grasping what God is up to. When we lose sight of God’s vision for us, we tend to wander and lose direction. But when we focus on God’s ways, we are blessed and find true happiness (Proverbs 29:18).
Jesus gave His followers a mission: to go and share His message with everyone, everywhere (Matthew 28:19-20). Sometimes the church forgets this vision, but God is always working to bring people back to what really matters—living for Him and doing what’s right. The Bible says God keeps a close eye on those who do what’s right and listens when they call out for help (Psalm 34:15).
As followers of Jesus, we’re called to live differently—not just based on what we can see or touch, but by letting God’s Spirit guide us. We’re meant to grow in our ability to sense what’s good and what’s not, learning and practicing spiritual things just like we practice anything else. The more we tune in to God’s ways, the more we can tell what’s truly from Him and what’s not.
My hope for you is that you’ll keep your heart open and your spiritual eyes wide, always looking to see what God is doing, even when things look tough. There’s a lot of trouble and wrong in the world, and it can be discouraging, especially when we see it among people who should know better. But God has His reasons for allowing things to happen, and He hears both the cries of those who do wrong and those who are hurt by it.
In the end, God is in control. Even when things seem out of hand, He hasn’t abandoned us. Let’s keep looking to Him, trusting that He will set things right and give us the vision we need to live with hope and purpose.
Minister A Francine Green
January 2026
afrancinegreen.com 