Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things

Yesterday, I went to a big shopping mall that I used to spend a lot of money in (especially on nice work clothes), back in the days when I had a high paid job. It was the weirdest feeling being there because I hadn’t realised how much I have separated myself from the things of this world since I started Bible college. By the things of this world, I mean worldly passions like carelessly spending money on stuff I don’t need (which could be much better spent on fellow students who can’t even afford basic necessities or my little sponsor child in Haiti whose family is struggling to find food to eat), wasting lots of time meandering through shops and letting things pass my eyes that grieve the Holy Spirit – things like massive posters advertising horror movies, magazines filled with scantily dressed people with poor moral standards, new age rubbish, even some of the people - smoking, swearing, trapped in the materialism of this world…

For the last six months, I have spent hours studying the Word of God, reading Godly literature, praying, worshipping God and fellowshipping with people who love God with all their hearts, who are not materialistic or selfish. The whole atmosphere of the shopping mall was an extreme contrast to the atmosphere I have been in. I actually felt like I was from another planet and I was filled with overwhelming sadness sensing how lost the people around me were and how the things of this world have deceived them into a false sense of security. I left without buying anything. I just wanted to get out.

At night, I sat and read the Word of God and prayed a few psalms over my family. As I did so, I felt God’s presence all around me and I started weeping. In the early hours of the morning I experienced the most amazing thing. It was like a dream, only I was semi-awake, so I guess it was more like a closed vision… like, you know you are awake, however, your physical senses are temporarily suspended.

I was sitting in a room and facing a massive window. Then the window opened and I could see the most incredible panoramic vision of planets and stars and all sorts of lights. They were moving all around me. It was so spectacular, it was like I was on some sort of aircraft up in the solar system. I don’t watch TV or movies and read very little secular literature and so it was like nothing I have ever seen before. The whole time I was thinking about how Josie had shared with me that once she was translated in the spirit into heaven and she said it was absolutely beautiful, like a new earth filled with peace and nothing evil. She said the grass was so green and lush and it just bounced back up when she walked on it... such a sweet fragrant place. The Bible tells us that each of us is a spirit, we live in a body and we have a soul. I wonder if i was actually being translated in the spirit realm.

I awoke with the scripture that Ps Ginny gets us to pray all the time “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your Law” [Psalm 119:18] and I also had a song on my heart that goes: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace". Somewhere in the book of Revelation, I think, it talks about how God will create a new heaven and a new earth for us for when we die – but only those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will go to it.

There are so few people that i can share this vision with. My family just don't understand. Oh the things of God are so amazing. I wish they knew how much it is worth it - the sacrifices of following Jesus are so worth it.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in His wonderful face,And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,In the light of His glory and grace.