Understanding Spiritual Blindness

“This is why the people could not believe: Isaiah also had said,
“He has blinded their eyes,
    and He has closed their minds.
Otherwise they would see with their eyes
    and understand in their minds
    and come back to Me and be healed.”-John 12:39-40

God is the only one who has the power to give someone the ability to understand the Gospel. We can understand the words we read in the Bible only with the help from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Corinthians 1:18). If someone does not believe or understand the Bible, it is because God does not allow them to understand it. A non-believer’s mind and heart are unable to understand the Gospel because God allows Satan to blind their minds from the truth (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

For a believer like Lydia, a God-fearing woman from Thyatira, God opened her heart and gave her the ability to respond to Paul to what he was saying in Acts 16:14. God also let the Gentiles see the truth in Acts 13:48. The Gentiles heard the words of God preached by Paul and then gave glory and honor to God. They were chosen by God to hear the truth; this shows that no one has the power to change a person’s mind and heart to hear the Gospel but God.

The truth is that no one can obey or love God on their own because their hearts really love sin more (Romans 8:7-8). That is why like the Gentiles, we need God’s help to do it. Sadly, some people will remain in spiritual blindness because their hearts are stubborn, and they refuse to change (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Prayer of the day:

Dear heavenly Father,

You only have the power to open our hearts and minds to Your truth. You gave many people in the Bible the ability to understand Your truth. Please, give us the power to do the same if we struggle to understand Your holy words too. There was a time when we were blinded to the truth, but now we can see, and it is only by Your grace. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!