We live in a time when information is everywhere. Every day, we see countless posts, videos, opinions, images, sermons, debates, and religious messages. People talk about God in churches, online, in books, in podcasts, and in casual conversations. In many ways, there has never been so much religious language around us.
But strangely, even with all this talk about God, many people still struggle to recognize His voice, His truth, and His work in everyday life. We may have more information than ever, but information is not the same as wisdom. We may hear many religious words, but that does not always mean our hearts are open to God. As Psalm 119:130 reminds us, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” What we need is not just more noise, but the light that comes from God’s Word.
This is where spiritual blindness comes in. Spiritual blindness is not only refusing to believe in God. It can also happen when a person is religious on the outside but closed on the inside. It shows up when someone knows the right words, attends the right places, and follows the right routines, but still cannot see what God is trying to show them. Jesus described this kind of condition in Matthew 13:15, saying that some people’s hearts become calloused, their ears hardly hear, and their eyes are closed.
Sometimes spiritual blindness looks like empty religiosity. A person may pray, sing, read, or speak about faith, but do it without love, humility, or obedience. The actions are there, but the heart is far away. Faith becomes a habit, a performance, or a way to look good in front of others instead of a real relationship with God. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 15:8, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
At other times, spiritual blindness appears as pride. This happens when someone thinks they already know everything, believes they are more spiritual than others, or refuses correction. Pride makes it hard to listen. It makes the heart stiff. A proud person may talk a lot about truth but still resist the truth when it challenges them. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom,” reminding us that spiritual sight begins with a humble heart.
Spiritual blindness can also be quiet. It may not look like open rebellion. It may simply be a silent resistance to God’s Word. A person hears what is right but keeps postponing obedience. They know what God is asking, but they avoid it, excuse it, or distract themselves from it. James 1:22 warns us not to merely listen to the Word and deceive ourselves, but to do what it says.
Another sign is the inability to notice God in daily life. God may be teaching, warning, correcting, comforting, or guiding, but the person does not perceive it. They may call everything coincidence, ignore small convictions, overlook answered prayers, or miss the lessons hidden in ordinary moments. That is why the prayer of Psalm 119:18 is so important: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”
The serious thing is that this condition can affect anyone. It can affect people who do not believe, but it can also affect people who sit in churches, teach others, serve in ministries, or use religious language every day. Being close to religious things is not the same as being close to God. As 2 Timothy 3:5 warns, it is possible to have “a form of godliness” while denying its power.
That is why we need humility. We need to ask God to open our eyes, soften our hearts, and help us discern what is true. We need more than noise, opinions, and religious appearances. We need a heart that can recognize God’s voice and respond to Him with sincerity. Like David prayed in Psalm 51:10, we can ask, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
In a world full of information, may we not lose the ability to see clearly. In a time full of talk about God, may we not become deaf to His Word. And in the middle of so much religious activity, may our hearts remain awake, humble, and sensitive to what God is doing. As Revelation 2:7 says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says.” So today, let us pause and honestly ask God to examine our hearts: Are we only hearing religious words, or are we truly listening? Are we only speaking about faith, or are we walking in obedience? May we ask Him to open our eyes, remove pride, renew our love for His Word, and help us recognize His voice in the middle of the noise.
Minister A Francine Green I July 2026