Ephesians 1:18
[18] having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (ESV)
I have childhood memories of wearing a hat in the wintertime. Someone would come up from behind me and pull the hat over my eyes and say, "Where were you when the lights went out?" From a spiritual standpoint, let's look at that very question. Paul continues in his praying, by asking that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened, that we would know the hope to which he has called us, and the riches of our inheritance.
This idea of spiritual blindness has two components. First of all, we realize that no person comes to an understanding of the light of Christ unless God turns the lights on! Jesus himself said in John 6:44, " No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." God the Father is the one who opens our eyes. Where were you when the lights went out? Well, in a very real sense, the lights were always out, until Christ shined his light upon us. So, spiritual blindness is a condition for all unbelievers, and is only solved by God, the spiritual eye doctor.
But, I want to consider a second component of spiritual blindness. Paul is talking to believers in this passage. He wants them to see the hope we have and the riches that are ours. I believe that one of the saddest things in the Church today is that those whom God has called unto salvation live hopeless lives of despair. It is as if they have pulled their own hat over their eyes and said out loud, "Where were you when the lights went out?"
Believer in Jesus, you have all the hope in the world. No matter what kind of hardship you are going through, you are never alone. Jesus promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Your ultimate hope will culminate in your eternal destiny in the arms of the Savior. We are not ever without hope. And riches? We do not even know yet how rich we are. But, hear the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth:
1 Corinthians 2:9:
[9] But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— (ESV)
Our riches are beyond our wildest imagination!
Where were you when the lights went out? Are you in darkness? I pray that God opens your eyes to the hope and riches that are yours in Christ Jesus. Ask him to turn open your spiritual eyes. And if you are pulling your own hat over your eyes . . . it's time to take it off, and see clearly the hope and riches that are yours.
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