Seeing is Believing (Tell That to a Blind Man)

Good morning, everyone! I’m excited to share with you today a thought-provoking message that might just challenge how you view the world around you. You know, we’ve all heard the saying, “Seeing is believing,” right? But I want to turn that on its head this morning. Seeing is NOT believing. In fact, if you said that to a blind man, you might just get a hearty laugh and a “Tell me something I don’t know!”

Now, I’m not trying to be flippant about those with visual impairments—absolutely not. But I want to open our eyes today, so to speak, to a deeper truth. Our eyes might be the windows to our world, but it’s our minds that interpret what we “see.” And guess what? Our minds can play tricks on us, deceive us, and sometimes even fool us into thinking something is true when it really isn’t.

The Mind is the Real Sight

Here’s a little exercise for you: Imagine you’re looking at a pencil. Go ahead, picture it in your mind. Got it? Now, did you see the pencil just now? Of course, you did! But where did you really see it? In your mind. The image of that pencil wasn’t processed by your eyes alone. Your brain took the visual input and constructed the image, making sense of what you were looking at.

That’s the crazy thing about our perception—our eyes may bring in the data, but it’s our brains that interpret it. This is why two people can look at the same thing and see two completely different things. Just ask any married couple who’s tried to pick a restaurant! You’re both looking at the same options, but somehow, your minds can’t agree. One sees a place that serves the best steak, the other sees a spot with amazing pasta. Seeing isn’t always believing—because what you see is filtered through your mind.

Biblical Examples of Visual Deception

Now, let’s bring this down to a biblical level. The Bible is full of instances where things weren’t exactly as they seemed. Even Satan himself knows how to play on our perception of the world.

Let’s start with the serpent in the garden—remember him? The very first visual deception. Genesis 3:4-5 records how Satan told Eve,

"You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

What a smooth talker! The serpent didn’t show Eve the whole picture. He made the forbidden fruit look desirable, like it would unlock divine powers, but he left out the part where it would bring death and separation from God. Satan made the fruit look good on the outside, but what Eve was really seeing was a lie—and she believed it!

Fast forward to 2 Corinthians 11:14, where Paul warns us that Satan doesn’t just walk around with a pitchfork and horns, but “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” You know what that means? It means Satan and his demons don’t always show up in ways we expect. Sometimes, they show up looking good, looking righteous, looking like they’ve got it all together.

Think about Muhammad and his supposed encounter with the angel Gabriel. Now, I’m not here to bash anyone’s faith, but let’s think critically: How can we be sure that what he “saw” was the true angel of God? After all, if anyone knows Gabriel in intricate detail it's his arch rival Lucifer! The Bible is clear that Satan has the ability to deceive, and just as he can disguise himself as an angel of light, he can make us believe something that isn’t true, leading us down dangerous paths. Seeing, in this case, was definitely not believing.

The Deception of the Mind and the Power of God's Truth

But here’s the good news: God knows how to open our eyes to the truth—and the truth is always more powerful than the lie. There’s a perfect example of this in Luke 24:31, when Jesus is walking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. These disciples were talking to Jesus, but they didn’t recognize Him! It wasn’t until Jesus broke the bread that “their eyes were opened.” Jesus had been right in front of them the whole time, but their minds were blinded. They couldn’t see what was in front of them, even though they were physically looking at Him.

Isn’t that what happens to us sometimes? We’re looking right at something, but we just can’t see it for what it really is. This could be a relationship, a career choice, a situation in our life. We might see something that looks good on the surface, but it’s only when we seek God’s guidance and open our hearts to the truth that we can really see it for what it is.

The truth is: Jesus doesn’t just want to open our eyes to the physical world; He wants to open our spiritual eyes to see the deeper truth of His Word. When our minds align with His truth, our perception of reality changes, and we start to see things from God’s perspective.

What Should We Do?

Now, you might be sitting there thinking, “Okay, I get it. So, what now?” Well, here’s the call to action. If seeing isn’t always believing, then we must be careful not to base our faith on appearances alone. We need to:

1. Seek God’s Truth: Don’t just trust what you see with your eyes. Seek God’s truth in His Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the deeper things He wants to show you. His truth will never deceive you.

2. Test the Spirits: Just because something looks good or feels right, doesn’t mean it’s from God. In 1 John 4:1, it says, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” If we want to avoid the deceptions of Satan, we need to stay grounded in the truth of God’s Word.

3. Pray for Spiritual Clarity: Just like Jesus opened the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, He can open our spiritual eyes too. Pray that God would reveal the truth to you and give you clarity in areas where you’ve been confused or misled.

   
   

Conclusion: Trust God’s Vision

So, remember this: Seeing is NOT believing. Our eyes are the gatekeepers to how we interpret the world around us, but our minds are the ones that shape what we truly believe. Satan can deceive us with lies that look like truth, but God’s Word is our ultimate lens through which we see reality.

God wants us to have clear vision—not just physically, but spiritually. Ask God to help you see things as He sees them. Ask Him to help you navigate through the deceptions of this world and the lies of the enemy. Trust that the truth of God’s Word will always guide you to the right path.

Let’s pray,

Father, We thank You for the truth that You have given us in Your Word. We ask You to open our eyes—both physically and spiritually—to see things as You see them. Help us to not be deceived by the lies of the enemy that look good on the outside but lead to destruction. Give us clarity, wisdom, and discernment, so that we may walk in Your truth and live according to Your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.