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THE EYE IS THE
LAMP OF THE BODY

God has blessed me with a healthy body except for glaucoma and macular degeneration in my eyes. Modern medicine can use God's design of the eye to enable me to retain my sight. My glaucoma has been addressed by surgically putting in a bleb — a flap that allows fluid inside the eye to escape so the internal pressure remains low. New medications have helped keep the pressure down and minor surgeries have kept the bleb working well.

These medical and surgical treatments work because of the doctor's knowledge of God's design of the eye. This experience has led me to understand and have a deeper appreciation for the complexity and intricacies of all of God's designs. The Psalmist says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

I no longer take my vision for granted but cherish and sincerely appreciate every day of seeing. I love reading and especially reading God's Word. I know that those who are blind have other ways of hearing what God says, but it is an incredible blessing to be able to read it over and over and meditate on what it says.

In Matthew 6:22-23 Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.” These verses are from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus talks about earthly treasures and heavenly treasures. In 1 John 1:5-7, we read, “God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.” John goes on to say that walking in the light leads us to have fellowship with him and one another “and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” John writes in 1 John 2:11, “But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”

God created us to see and be guided by spiritual light, which is even more important than visible light. Just as we can shut our eyes and cut off the visible light, we can choose to reject the spiritual light, causing us to live in darkness. Indeed, “How great is that darkness.”

— Cynthia Clayton

Picture credit:
© Julie Marcussen

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.