Eyes are made to "see" where we are going, not "decide" where we are going!

Judges 14:7-11 So he went down and talked to the woman; and she looked good to Samson. When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. So he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion. Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this.n When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

There was a real add placed in a newspaper, it read: "Rent-a-jogger": "Rent me for $1.95 and I will jog for you at least one mile each day (weather permitting) for the next year." The customer even gets a framed certificate, which reads, "Your jogger is securing for you the benefits of a healthful glow, extraordinary stamina, an exciting muscle tone, and power-filled sense of total well-being." Within days of the ad's first appearance, 322 people had sent him $1.95!

It staggers the imagination the disconnect the eyes have with reality! When we “react” to what our eyes see…including read…we can respond in very foolish ways. Why? As we examine this portion of Samson’s story we will deal with it in two devos. This first one we must stop and once again take note the emphasis the Scripture makes on how Samson lived by sight.

Vs. 11: So he went down and talked to the woman; and she looked good to Samson.

I want to point out four dangers we place ourselves in when we walk by sight!

Danger of living by sight:

·      The eyes can neutralize the brain. 

Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Eve’s brain was so enticed that she forgot about the warning from the Creator. No questions about why the Creator would lie to her, no concern that a serpent was encouraging her to do what she knew was wrong, no thought of what the consequences will be.

When we walk by sight our brain can become fixated only on what we see and not consider the outcome!

"A young man once found a five dollar bill on the street. From that time on he never lifted his eyes when walking. In the course of years he accumulated 29,516 buttons, 54,172 pins, twelve cents, a bent back and a miserly disposition.

·      The eyes have an unending appetite.

Proverbs 17:24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 27:20 Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

If you have ever gone food shopping when you are really hungry you have experienced this! Everything you see you want to eat! When you get home and have 1 simple meal, you then wonder why you spent your money on 4 pizzas, a double bag of chips, three packages of hotdogs, 8 cans of spam and 4 extra large packages of double stuffed Oreos!

If we discipline our appetites with our common sense we will save ourselves much grief, not to mention a lot of money when we shop!

·      The eyes do not have a reliable perspective.

Proverbs 28:11 Rich people may think they are wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.

Psalm 36:1–2 Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes. For it flatters him in his own eyes Concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.

Consider a couple in Louisville who wanted to sell their home so they could find their dream house. They called a friend who was a real estate agent.  He wrote an elaborate description of their house and read it to them for their approval. “Read it again,” they asked.   The man glanced at his wife, then leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. After the second reading, he was silent for a moment. Then he said thoughtfully, “I don't think we'll sell.  We've been looking for that kind of place all our lives, but until you read that description, I didn't know we had it. I think we'll just keep the place.” His wife agreed.

·      The eyes get their drive from the world.

1 John 2:16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

Sadly, too many believers throughout the ages have failed to allow the Lord to bring a proper balance to this Truth. Scripture is not saying that all the things that are in the world are evil. When we have that attitude we think spirituality is based on depriving ourselves of things and pleasures. Far too many in the Church were duped by the enemy in this matter. The result was they missed out on enjoying much of God’s Creation and freedoms that He desired for His children to experience. This also translated into a spiritual pride and arrogance that was so distasteful that the next generation…their own children…ran away from the faith! This should not be so, God made the world and the things in it for His creation to enjoy…BUT…not be possessed by them. This is the other extreme. Many believe their only happiness and purpose in life can come from the things of the world. The tragic truth is that as they acquire more and more they deceive themselves into believing they own so much…but the truth is they are owned! They become the slave to the very things they thought they were the master of.

Isaiah illustrated this well:

Isaiah 44:14–17 He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain. Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.” Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god!”

God desires balance! He wants us to enjoy the good things in this world, and to feel good about what we do right. We do not have to abstain or be lustful, braggadocios gluttons! If you seek God first, He will guide you into a balance where the world’s beauties and pleasures can be experienced and actually mature your soul instead of drowning it!

Meditation: How much time do you spend thinking about material things? How much of your life is consumed with the temporal things of this world? Have you learned to enjoy your money without becoming a servant of it? What is the focus of your day; How can I please God? OR How can I please myself?