Eyes

02/09/2009 by John Marsden.

Open Eyes

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.”John 4:35 NASB

From his hometown of Delft, near Rotterdam in the Netherlands, artist Johannes Vermeer watched as ships sailed to and from the local harbor on the coast of the North Sea. He heard stories from sailors and merchants about new lands.

      Around 1668, reflecting this world of exploration, Vermeer completed one of his many masterpieces, a painting called “The Geographer.” A man with compass in hand stares out the window. Light floods the room, symbolizing the new possibilities that were changing their worldview and creating new opportunities.

      It’s a scene filled with discovery. Open before the geographer is what seems to be a map. Behind him, a sea chart hangs on the wall, and other charts lie on the floor. Atop a cabinet sits a globe which seems to be turned toward the Indian Ocean, a body of water of great importance for Dutch navigators.
      Like many in his time, Vermeer was looking at the world in a new light: fascinated by the prospect of new discoveries…driven to learn, to understand, and to explore. Determined men like these opened up new opportunities for others.
      Just as Vermeer’s geographer looks out on a world fresh with potential, the world lays open before us today. But to grasp this potential, we need spiritual discernment. As Jesus taught, we need to open our eyes to see a world filled with hurting people-people who are dying without hearing the Gospel.

      God has given us incredible technological resources-tools that can touch their lives and reach them for Christ. Make sure to do your part, for the fields are “white for harvest.” Souls need Jesus. Dedicate your life and resources to evangelism and furthering God’s Kingdom.

Eyes wide open have a great day

John

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