I was in a bit of trouble. This past Sunday morning after I got dressed, I slipped into a cute pair of boots and leggings to complement my black dress.

Well, I wasn’t sure if I had the right color combination of items. Since hubby wasn’t home, I did what any blind gal would do. I grabbed my cell, and told Siri to open the app called Be My Eyes. She did. And Siri read the screen to me. I pressed the button that said, “Call first available volunteer.”

I tapped the button, and in seconds a real-live person answered. “Hello, my name is Sue, how can I help you?”

“Thank you,” I said. “Can you tell me if I have the right color combination for my outfit?”

I held my cell phone so she could see what I wore. And the sweet gal on the other end described exactly what I had on, colors and other details.

The Be my Eyes app is the greatest help ever! Blind folks can use this free service to read medication labels, identify pantry items, and hear a description of their surroundings. The list is endless. Truly, Be My Eyes is a welcomed freedom for the blind.

God wants to be that very thing for us

He wants to be our eyes so we can see His hand at work in the midst of painful changes. He wants us to look closely at how His Word is coming alive in spite of every ugly event that barges into our life. He wants us to observe how evil is creeping up yet, under God’s watch, it’s heading to its sorry end. He wants us to see all that.

But, do we? Sometimes not. We’re blinded by fear. Blinded by worry about tomorrow and by the anxiety that keeps us awake at night.

But…what if we open the “app” in our heart to see these seven areas. There, He traces the path for us to live as conquerors, confident and secure.

Seven things to see

1. He wants us to peek in the gift box wrapped in His love: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you peace as the world gives” (John 14:27a). But wait a minute, that gift comes with this instruction: “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27b). With that peace, there’s power. We have the power to make the choice to allow our heart to be troubled and be afraid, or to erase that troubled feeling together with its unfounded fear.
2. God wants us to see how Jesus declared His mission because “the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor” (Isaiah 61:1).  How often we end up in spiritual poverty, hungry for even a bite of hope. But Jesus came to preach the good news that satisfies us as we savor this delicious promise: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
3. He wants us to recognize the world cannot put back together what was broken. But Jesus can. He says, “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…” (Isaiah 61:1). If our heart is broken, He has the salve to heal. He has the love to put back what was taken. And He has the power to make us whole once again.
4. He wants us to see the freedom, certain and lasting. He came “to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” (Isaiah 61:1). No more prisoners of panic attacks, no more feeling gripped by depression. He unlocked that prison cell with the key of His promise.
5. God wants us to see He has a plan. He came “to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God…” (Isaiah 61:2). His favor will be upon those who trust in Him. No matter the injustice, the insults or attempts to silence us, His vengeance is prepared in His way and will be displayed in the precise moment.
6. When we face the loss of a job, loss of a loved one, loss of a relationship or even our health, God wants us to see that He came to fill the emptiness and “to comfort all who mourn…” (Isaiah 61:2). If mourning is filling our days, His comfort is here. If grief weighs heavy, His peace is constant. And, if the heartache is too much, He eases the pain.
7. When we fall apart and we’re surrounded by ashes of despair, He wants us to see that His mission is to bring a beautiful exchange: “to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).

Can you look in the mirror and see the new you? The new perception of your life, of your situation and of your future? That’s because when we remove the blinders, we see a new and exquisite scenery. Then, peace visits our nights. And during the day, this sings in our heart:

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart…” (Psalm 73:25-26).

Used with permission by Global Media Outreach from Janet Perez Eckels. In spite of her physical blindness, Janet serves the Lord as an inspirational speaker and author. This article was first published on February 7, 2021 at www.janetperezeckles.com