Thought for the Month - January 2020

"Blind to the things of God" by Barry Adair

I read about Fadhil just recently. Fadhil is a blind Iraqi refugee who now lives in Amman, Jordan. Although blind, a Christian charity (which provides solar powered audio Bibles) were astonished to discover that he had used their audio device to memorize 87 chapters of the Bible. Yes, 87!

This story popped off a few thoughts in my head and I wanted to share a couple of these here. Fadhil's story and photo wasn't published in any glossy magazine or in a popular newspaper. I had read about Fadhil on the "GodReports" Christian website.

Now Fadhil is someone who would seem unremarkable by the ways of the world. The world has no interest in Fadhil. The world has no interest in his blindness. The world has no interest in his story. The world has absolutely no interest in his desire for God's Word. This is because, by in large, the world is totally blind to the things of God and to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Thankfully, most Christians will look at Fadhil with different eyes (if I may put it this way). We know that God doesn't choose to reveal Himself through the mighty and the powerful and the rich. God reveals Himself through the weak and the poor and the humble.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are (1 Corinthians 1:27-28)

And Christians know that what the world values is certainly not what God values…

"…for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

And a desire to know God better, through the Bible, is a value close to God's heart. We all should have that desire to learn more about God. In fact, reading about the desire that Fadhil has for God's Word made me feel even smaller and weaker.

I also wondered had Fadhil reached Psalm 119 as he listened to his audio Bible. When I read this verse I thought of a blind refugee very much like Fadhil…

Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law. I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me. (Psalm 119: 18-19)

Looking again at Fadhil and knowing something of his story gives me an insight into some of the struggles he will have faced - struggles that most of us will not have encountered. I thought about the awful situations that some of the refugees escaping from Iraq had to go through. And I thought about going through this while totally blind.

To many in our world, life is a real struggle. And by a struggle I don't mean not being able to afford a continental holiday this year, or being too busy to go to the gym this week, or not being able to fit into that size 14 skirt or those 34 inch jeans! Life can be brutal; life can be literally 'a life or death' struggle. To many, even finding enough food or water to keep them alive is a daily battle. Life is also unfair. To some it is a cake walk, even having too much money to know what to spend it on. To others, days pass with not having enough money to afford anything to eat.

Thankfully, we have a God who passionately cares for His children all over the world. However, I believe that God would want those children of His, who have been blessed with an abundance of riches, to share with those who are in real need. This hit home with me as I thought about Fadhil and many more like him.

Finally, can I emphasise again that, to God, Fadhil is the one who sees while most of the world remain blind - blind to the things of God. And spiritual blindness will stop you from finding Jesus. Spiritual blindness will stop you from understanding God's salvation. Spiritual blindness will stop you from becoming a child of God.

Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." (John 9:39)

"Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:22, KJV)

Until next month (DV)…

(All Bible quotations are from the NASB, unless stated)

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