(Mat 13:13 -17 NIV)  This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'  But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Life has a way of hardening our hearts. It is very interesting that the first mention of eyes was in Genesis 3 –Satan’s real target was our spiritual eyesight. Before they ate of the fruit, Adam and Eve PERCEIVED only goodness. When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit they did not die …they could no longer see with their spiritual eyes. Eph 5: 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Perceive –to know –ascertain by seeing.

Disobedience activated a carnal seeing and mindset. They could no longer SEE and communicate with God. The activation of carnal eyesight brought darkness –the absence of God’s presence –the light or illumination of communion with God.

In the beginning, the earth was without form and was void of the presence of God. When He spoke the word, He destroyed the forces of confusion.  God caused the chaos or darkness to be illuminated with His presence. No other light was needed …creation of the sun, moon and stars were incidental –they were necessary to create the seasons and to measure time.

The absence of God’s influence or light automatically brought –misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, and wickedness. (Hebrew meanings of darkness) The Lord is seeking to restore sight or the ability to perceive the spiritual realm.

 (2 Cor 4:4 KJV)  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Statistics reveal that most of us are visual learners. In the natural, we say, “I will believe it when I see it”. We are given charts, statistics, graphs that revolve around things which people have seen and experienced in the natural realm. We have all heard people say, “I know this works, because I have seen it work”. Seen things make sense, seen things minister to the natural senses. However they are only temporary.

This explains why so many have difficulty in grasping spiritual concepts. Spiritual things can only be seen with eyes of the spirit. In John 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "you must be born again before you can 'see' the kingdom. This seeing does not come instantly when we are born again.

When a baby is born, sight is cloudy, uncertain and out of focus. It takes time for the eyes to become acclimated to “the light”. Sight comes gradually, eventually things come into focus. However, in the natural a newborn has no blocks or preconceived ideas to overcome in the development process.

Cheer up, there is hope! With time we can all come to see and perceive spiritual truths more clearly.