Tag Spiritual Blindness •

SHORT-SIGHTED

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

A Watchman’s Report

Seeing farther requires humility enough to admit when our present view is incomplete.

There is something dangerous about believing that what we can see is all there is to see. Scripture actually describes a condition of spiritual shortsightedness:

“But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off…”
2 Peter 1:9 KJV

Notice the language: “cannot see afar off.” That is the problem of the shortsighted. They can see something, but they cannot see far enough. The greater danger comes when those who cannot see afar off become convinced that they can.

“We See”

Jesus addressed this very problem after healing the man born blind. Some of the Pharisees asked whether they were blind also. Jesus answered:

“If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” John 9:41 KJV

Those two words should give every believer pause: “We see.” There is no shame in acknowledging that there are things we do not understand. The danger lies in becoming so convinced of our own understanding that we are no longer willing to look again. Paul described another form of the same human conceit:

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” Romans 1:22 KJV

We do not know what we do not know. The problem begins when we refuse to acknowledge that fact and assume that whatever lies beyond our present understanding cannot possibly be true.

Zacchaeus Knew He Couldn’t See

Here is where Zacchaeus becomes such a beautiful picture. He wanted to see Jesus, but he was short and the crowd obstructed his view. Scripture says:

“And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.” Luke 19:4 KJV

Zacchaeus had limited vision, but he knew it. So he changed his position. He climbed higher. His limitation did not keep him from seeing Jesus because he acknowledged it. The symbolism is striking. Zacchaeus effectively said, “I cannot see,” and climbed higher. The Pharisees said, “We see,” and remained blind. The man who recognized the limitation of his sight changed his vantage point and saw Jesus, while those confident in their spiritual sight could have Jesus standing directly before them and still fail to recognize what God was doing.

There is a caution here for Churchianity. We may say that our scholars have studied it, our denominations have settled it, our traditions have defined it, and therefore we see. Study matters. Sound doctrine matters. But study should make us more humble before God, not less teachable by God.

Knowledge Is Not Understanding

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7 KJV

Knowledge alone is not enough. A person can know where an automobile was manufactured, how its engine was designed, and what every major component does, yet when the radiator fails he may not know how to replace it. An experienced mechanic may possess fewer academic credentials while knowing exactly what to do when the hood goes up. Knowledge knows something. Understanding comprehends it. Wisdom knows what to do with it.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally…” James 1:5 KJV

Not pretend. Not presume. Ask. That requires humility. I have learned this repeatedly in my own walk with the Lord: every time I think I have all the answers, God changes the questions. Just when I think I understand something, He seems to ask, “Yes, but have you looked at it this way?” When I change my vantage point, sometimes the picture changes with it.

The Watchman Must Keep Looking

That brings us to the watchman. God told Ezekiel:

“O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.”
Ezekiel 33:7 KJV

The watchman was not commissioned to manufacture something frightening. He watched, he heard from God, and then he spoke. His elevation gave him perspective. He could see approaching danger before those at street level could see it. But what happens when the watchman stops looking because he thinks he has already seen everything there is to see? He may still stand upon the wall and carry the trumpet, but he has ceased to function as a watchman.

Come Up Higher

John heard an extraordinary invitation in Revelation:

“Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”
Revelation 4:1 KJV

In its immediate context, this is John’s invitation into the heavenly vision. Yet the imagery gives us a fitting spiritual caution: there are things we cannot see from ground level. Zacchaeus climbed higher because he could not see Jesus from where he stood. The watchman stood higher because he needed to see farther than those within the city. And Jesus promised His disciples the Spirit of truth:

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…” John 16:13 KJV

Guidance assumes that we are still traveling. We still have somewhere to go, something to learn, and things we cannot presently see. Perhaps one of the healthiest prayers God’s people can pray is simply, “Father, what am I not seeing from where I am standing?”

A Report From the Wall

This Watchman’s Report is not a prediction about tomorrow. It is a caution about today. Do not mistake the limits of your vision for the limits of God’s reality. Do not become so confident in what you know that you become incapable of learning what you do not know. Do not assume that because everyone around you sees something the same way, everyone must therefore be seeing clearly. Remember Zacchaeus. Sometimes the crowd itself can obstruct our view.

If we cannot see clearly, let us acknowledge it. If we lack wisdom, let us ask for it. If our view is obstructed, let us change our position. If God asks, “Have you looked at it this way?” let us remain humble enough to look again. Above all, let us learn something from a short man who wanted desperately to see Jesus. He knew he could not see from where he stood, so he climbed higher, and there he saw Jesus.

The greatest danger may not be that we cannot see. It may be that we cannot see, but have convinced ourselves that we can.

SPIRITUAL CATARACTS: When Our Vision Gets Cloudy

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

As a professional driver with over 3 million incident-free miles, I’ve encountered my share of heavy fog—and other driving hazards. There’s something uniquely disorienting about fog: the way it swallows landmarks, blurs headlights, and forces you to slow down and trust your instincts. You grip the wheel tighter, strain to see what’s ahead, and pray for clarity.

In many ways, spiritual fog is just as disorienting. Cataracts form when the lens of the eye becomes clouded, scattering light and distorting clarity. In the natural, it’s a slow fade—vision dims, colors dull, and the world grows hazy. But in the Spirit, cataracts form when our gaze shifts from Christ to self, from Kingdom to culture, from eternal to temporal.

Jesus speaks directly to this in Revelation 3:18:

“I counsel you to buy from Me… salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”

This isn’t earthly ointment—it’s divine clarity. It’s the Spirit’s touch that restores our ability to see rightly: to discern truth, to perceive eternity, to recognize our condition. Without this salve, we walk in spiritual blindness—thinking we see, but missing the Kingdom entirely.

👁 What Causes Spiritual Blindness?

  • Comparison with ourselves Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 10:12: “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” This is the cataract of self-reference. We become our own standard, our own mirror, our own measure. Instead of gazing upon Christ—the Author and Perfecter of our faith—we stare at our own reflection, adjusting our righteousness by how we feel or how we perform. The result? Dimmed discernment. Blurred conviction. Lost awe.

→ See also Hebrews 12:2: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…”

  • Fixation on worldly metrics Likes, followers, influence, income, applause—these are the fog machines of the soul. They scatter the light of truth and distort our spiritual depth. We begin to see ministry as platform, worship as performance, and prophecy as content. The lens gets cloudy.

→ See also 1 John 2:16: “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

→ See also Revelation 3:17: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

  • Neglect of intimacy When we stop beholding Christ, we lose clarity. Psalm 36:9 says, “In Your light we see light.” Without His presence, we grope in shadows. Spiritual cataracts form when we trade communion for consumption, devotion for distraction.

→ See also Isaiah 29:13: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me…”

🚦 God’s Fog Lights: The Salve of Christ

Jesus offers salve—not just to see others rightly, but to see Him clearly. This salve is like fog lights for the soul—cutting through confusion, piercing the haze, and illuminating the road ahead. Fog lights are designed to shine low and wide, revealing what’s immediately in front of you when everything else is obscured. They don’t eliminate the fog, but they help you move forward safely, confidently, and with purpose.

In the same way, the salve of Christ doesn’t always remove the fog of life—but it gives us clarity to navigate it. It helps us see what matters, avoid spiritual hazards, and stay aligned with the path of righteousness.

  • Revelation: Eyes opened to the beauty, holiness, and supremacy of Christ. Like fog lights revealing the road’s edges, revelation helps us see the boundaries of truth and the brilliance of Jesus. → See also Ephesians 1:18: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…”
  • Conviction: Seeing our true condition—not through shame, but through mercy. Fog lights expose what’s hidden—potholes, debris, or danger. Conviction reveals our spiritual condition so we can respond with repentance. → See also John 16:8: “When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”
  • Discernment: Recognizing what is eternal, what is counterfeit, and what is Kingdom. Fog lights help us distinguish between safe paths and risky detours. Discernment helps us choose wisely in a world full of spiritual distractions. → See also Philippians 1:9-10: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best…”

This salve doesn’t come from effort—it comes from encounter. It’s bought through surrender, applied through repentance, and activated through worship.

Prophetic Exhortation If your vision has dimmed, don’t reach for self-help lenses. Ask for the salve. Let the Spirit anoint your eyes again. Stop comparing yourself with yourself. Fix your gaze on Jesus. Let Him become your lens, your light, your clarity.

So when the fog rolls in, grip the wheel of faith. Turn on the fog lights of revelation, conviction, and discernment. And drive forward—not by sight, but by light.