Eyes to See

Hello, it's time for today's Our Daily Bread devotional. Our reading for today is called Eyes to See and it was written by Sheridan Voisey. I recently discovered the wonder of anamorphic art. Appearing at first as an assortment of random parts, an anamorphic sculpture only makes sense when viewed from the correct angle. In one piece, a series of vertical poles align to reveal a famous leader's face. In another, a massive cable becomes the outline of an elephant.

Another artwork, made of hundreds of black dots suspended by wire, becomes a woman's eye when seen correctly. The key to anamorphic art is viewing it from different angles until its meaning is revealed. With thousands of verses of history and poetry and more, the Bible can sometimes be hard to understand, but scripture itself tells us how to unlock its meaning, treat it like an anamorphic sculpture, view it from different angles, and meditate on it deeply. Christ's parables work this way.

Those who care enough to ponder them gain eyes to see their meaning. Paul told Timothy to reflect on his words so God would give him insight. And the repeated refrain of Psalm 119 is how meditating on scripture brings wisdom and insight, opening our eyes to see its meaning. How about pondering a single parable for a week or reading a gospel in one sitting? Spend some time viewing a verse from all its angles.

Go deep. Biblical insight comes from meditating on scripture, not just reading it. Oh God, give us eyes to see. Now let's meditate on God's word together. This is Our Daily Bread's devotional scripture reading for today and it's from Psalm 119 verses 97 through 104.

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path, so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. I gain understanding from your precepts, therefore I hate every wrong path. Now let's pray. Father, take us deep into the world of scripture. Open our eyes to see each wonderful thing within its pages and guide us down the paths connecting each one. Lord, teach us the wonder of your ways and give us wisdom as we follow your instruction. Thank you, Father. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.