Do You See Anything? — Opening Eyes to Jesus

August 24, 2026

Opening Prayer

Lord, open the eyes of my heart to understand Your Word. Let your truth penetrate deeply and guide my life. Give me fresh revelation that empowers and instructs me. May my devotional time today reveal more of who You are. Amen.

Bible Reading

Mark 8:23

.... Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

Reflection

In our worship service yesterday, we looked at Mark 8:22–26 and focused on the question Jesus asked the blind man after touching his eyes: “Do you see anything?”

You might find this hard to believe, but there’s actually more I’d like us to think about in this passage—things I didn’t get a chance to get to yesterday. 😊

___________________

I heard a story recently about a man who never wore a seatbelt. Every time his friend got in the car, he would say, “You should really buckle up.” The man would smile, shrug, and say, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He knew the risks. He had heard the statistics. He understood the arguments. But nothing changed.

Then one day, his friend got into the car and noticed that the man was wearing his seatbelt.

He asked, “What made you start?”

The man explained that he had recently visited another friend in the hospital after a serious car accident. His friend hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt, and seeing the consequences up close changed everything.

He already knew the facts. But now he had seen the reality.

And there is a difference between knowing something and truly seeing it.

Knowledge can remain in our heads. Seeing something moves it into our hearts.

I think something similar happens in our relationship with Jesus.

We can know about grace. We can know what sin is. We can know that Jesus forgives. We can know the stories of the Bible. We can even know the right answers to all the questions.

But there comes a point when something we have known intellectually suddenly becomes something we see.

We might say:

“I thought I understood grace.”

“I thought I understood sin.”

“I thought I understood forgiveness.”

“I thought I understood Jesus.”

“But now I really see it.”

And when we really begin to see, it changes us.

That is part of what makes the story in Mark 8 so powerful. Jesus doesn’t simply give the man information about sight. Jesus opens his eyes so that he can see.

And Mark seems to be inviting us to see something deeper than the healing of one blind man.

Sometimes we are like that man.

We can see something, but not yet see clearly.

We understand part of what Jesus is doing, but not all of it. We have faith, but our faith is still growing. We know Jesus, but we are still learning what it means to follow Him.

And that's okay.

Jesus doesn't walk away because the man's vision isn't perfect.

He touches him again.

Sometimes seeing Jesus clearly is a process.

And as Jesus opens our eyes, things that once seemed like abstract ideas become real.

Grace becomes something we depend on.

Sin becomes something we take seriously.

Forgiveness becomes something we receive—and something we learn to extend to others.

Jesus becomes more than someone we know about.

He becomes someone we know and follow.

And when our eyes are opened, our lives begin to change.

We begin to make different choices.

We live with greater humility.

We become more aware of God's grace.

We learn to trust Jesus more deeply.

We begin to see other people differently.

We begin to see ourselves differently.

And we begin to see that following Jesus isn't simply about knowing more about Him.

It's about seeing Him more clearly—and allowing what we see to change the way we live.

So perhaps the question Jesus asks the blind man is also a question He asks us:

“Do you see anything?”

Maybe the answer isn't always, “Yes, I see everything clearly.”

Maybe sometimes the most honest answer is:

“I see something. I’m beginning to see. But I still need Jesus to open my eyes.”

And perhaps that's where faith begins—not with having everything figured out, but with trusting Jesus to keep opening our eyes.

Because the good news of Mark 8 is that Jesus doesn't give up on people who don't yet see clearly.

He keeps touching.

He keeps teaching.

He keeps leading.

And He keeps opening our eyes.

So the question for us isn't simply, “Do you know about Jesus?”

It is:

“Do you see Jesus?”

And if we do—even imperfectly—then the invitation is to keep looking, keep following, and keep allowing Him to help us see more clearly.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see you more clearly. Help us to turn knowledge into sight, sight into obedience, and obedience into love for others. Keep touching us, shaping us, and making us more dependent on you each day. Amen

Application

Ask to See

• Morning 1‑minute prayer: “Jesus, open my eyes today; show me one place I’m blind.”

• Evening 2‑minute review: Note one moment you saw differently and one place you still need clarity.

More Than Enough: The Quail

August 20, 2026

Opening Prayer

Holy Spirit, breathe on these Scriptures as they are read. Make familiar words fresh, and new words clear. Stir faith, awaken hope, and lead us into the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Scripture

Exodus 16:13

“That evening quail came and covered the camp.”

Reflection

For weeks the Israelites had been walking through an endless stretch of sand, heat, and uncertainty. They had left Egypt behind, but the memory of full cooking pots and predictable meals still lingered in their minds. Out in this wilderness, a land with no crops, no markets, and no visible source of food, hunger settled in.

They grew anxious. They complained to Moses. They wondered if God had led them out only to abandon them.

Had He forgotten them? Did He see their need?

But God had not forgotten.

In the early morning, a thin layer of something unfamiliar covered the ground. It looked small and delicate—like frost, but not frost. The Israelites asked, “What is it?” And Moses told them it was bread from heaven. Manna. Daily provision. Just enough for each day.

And in the evening, we are told that quail swept into the camp—an unexpected abundance of meat for a people who had none.

You see, God was teaching His people something essential, something they would need for every step of their long journey ahead:

He could be trusted to provide.

"Their hunger became a classroom.

Their need became an invitation.

Their fear became the backdrop for God’s faithfulness."

I feel like we are not so different.

We often spend time worrying about what we lack—what hasn’t happened yet, what we wish we had, what feels out of reach—that we overlook the quiet, steady ways God has already been providing.

Gratitude and thankfulness shifts our outlook, our vision. The result is that we change in the way we live, and think.

Instead of saying, “I need more,” our hearts begin to say, “Look at what God has already given.”

It’s a different way of seeing. A different way of living. A different way of trusting.

Prayer

God, forgive me for the times I focus so much on what I lack that I overlook Your provision. Give me grateful eyes today. Amen.

Application

Today make a list of five things God has provided for you.

Then thank Him specifically for each one.

Want to Fly? Look to the Eagles Nest

August 19, 2026

Opening Prayer

Holy Spirit, breathe on these Scriptures as they are read. Make familiar words fresh, and new words clear. Stir faith, awaken hope, and lead us into the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Scripture

Deuteronomy 32:11

“Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.”

Reflection

I suspect most of know that an eagle doesn’t keep its young in the nest forever. 

For a season, the nest is exactly where the young eagle belongs. It is a place of safety, warmth, and provision. The parent eagle brings food, shields them from harsh weather, and keeps them secure.

Eventually the time comes when the very nest that once felt so comfortable begins to be perhaps a little too comfortable. The time comes when the young eagle has to learn to soar.

I have read that to get the young Eagle to take the next step in development sometimes means that the parent eagle begins to disturb the nest. The soft, comfortable lining is moved aside and what once felt secure suddenly becomes uncomfortable. Now the young eagle may not understand what is happening. 

“Why are you doing this? 

Why can't things just stay the way they were?”

Just as parent eagles push their young from the nest to teach them to fly, God often uses disruptions in our life to prepare us for growth. Let us admit it, we seek comfort in familiar routines, but real comfort and security was never to be found in the nest—it was always to be found in our loving creator.

But we get comfortable. We settle into familiar routines. We know how things work. We know what to expect. We find our little nest—the places, relationships, habits, and routines where we feel secure.

And then something changes.

A door closes. A new opportunity appears. A relationship changes. A season of life comes to an end. Something we depended on is no longer there. The future suddenly looks different than we expected. When life shifts and uncertainty moves in, it’s natural to ask, “God, why is this happening?” But perhaps there’s another question worth asking: “God, what are You teaching me through this?” 

Deuteronomy 32:11 uses the imagery of an eagle to describe God’s relationship with His people: The eagle symbolizes how God actively watches over, nurtures, and empowers His people.

We need to remember that not every disruption or ending means God has abandoned us. Often, I have found that these moments are  an invitation to step beyond what has become familiar and comfortable—and to trust God in a new way, to grow, and to discover that the God who carried us in the comfortable nest is also the God who calls us to spread our wings and soar under his watchful eye. 

Prayer

Lord, when You stir up my comfortable places, help me trust You. Give me courage to step into the new things You are teaching me. Amen.

Application

Today Ask the following:

“Where might God be inviting me to grow beyond my Nest or comfort zone?”

Take one small step in that direction.

Gathered Close: A Hen and Her Chicks

August 18, 2026

Opening Prayer

Holy Spirit, breathe on these Scriptures as they are read. Make familiar words fresh, and new words clear. Stir faith, awaken hope, and lead us into the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Scripture 

Matthew 23:37

37 .... how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 

Reflection 

The picture Jesus uses here is rather interesting. He doesn’t picture Himself as a warrior, or a ruler giving orders, or a judge handing down a verdict. He pictures a mother hen gathering her chicks and pulling them in close under her wings as descriptive of his ministry.

It really is a rather tender image. The chicks don’t have to figure everything out. They just come close.

Think about a mother hen for a moment.

When danger comes, she doesn't send her chicks away to figure things out on their own. She gathers them.

She spreads her wings and calls them close.

And when those little chicks get underneath her wings, they don't have to do anything. They just come close.

And that's the picture Jesus gives us.

Under His wings is a place of refuge.

Under His wings is a place of belonging.

Under His wings is a place of rest.

For just a moment, the chick stops running. It stops looking for somewhere else to go. It simply settles down beneath the one who is protecting it. Jesus says that’s what He wants for His followers.

Maybe that's what Jesus is inviting some of us to do, today.

Not try harder.  Just come closer.

Think about that for a moment. 

The God who created the galaxies wants you close.

Maybe today Jesus is simply saying, to you and me  “Come Closer.”

"Come Closer," Just as you are. 

"Come Closer," with your questions and fears and doubts.

"Come Closer," because His wings are already open.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for longing to gather me close. When I wander, when I worry, when I feel far away, draw me back under the shelter of Your presence. Let me rest where Your love covers me and Your nearness steadies me. Amen.

Application

Take five quiet minutes today. No requests. No agenda. No pressure.

Simply sit in His presence and pray: “Jesus, I’m here.”

Above the Wind: The Eagle

August 14, 2026 

Opening Prayer

Holy Spirit, breathe on these Scriptures as they are read. Make familiar words fresh, and new words clear. Stir faith, awaken hope, and lead us into the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Scripture

Isaiah 40:31

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." 

Reflection

Sometimes being tired goes way beyond just needing a good night’s sleep. It’s that deep-down kind of tired—the kind that gets into your soul. Soul fatigue it is often called. You keep going, you keep doing what needs to be done, but inside, you know and feel that you are running on empty.

Isaiah 40 doesn't ignore this reality; it acknowledges that even the young and vibrant stumble and grow weary. But God offers a radical alternative to "soul fatigue" through a vivid image from creation: the soaring eagle.
You my have noticed that smaller birds have to flap their wings like crazy just to stay off the ground. If an eagle tried doing that over long distances, it would collapse from total exhaustion. Instead, eagles ride "thermals—invisible pockets of warm, rising air that effortlessly push them thousands of feet up without the extra workout." And when a rough storm rolls in, small birds run for cover, but the eagle just locks its wings and lets those wild winds shoot it above the clouds.

I believe that is pretty much what it looks like to "wait on the Lord."

As I see it, Isaiah 40 reminds us that when we try to muscle our way through life on our own strength, it’s like flapping our wings as hard as we can while flying straight into the crazy winds of a storm. Eventually, we just wear ourselves out, were not made to run on our own strength forever. We need God to renew us and give us the strength to keep going.

Waiting on God isn't a call to just do nothing; it is about making a intentional choice to surrender. It’s opening up our wings and letting the Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting. When we do this and put our trust in God:

• We exchange your limited human reserves for His infinite power.

• We stop fighting the storm in your own strength and allow God to use the trial to lift your perspective higher.

• We learn that spiritual strength isn't about working harder—it's about depending deeper.

Prayer

Lord, I am weary from trying to flap my wings in my own strength. I surrender my striving, my anxiety, and my need to control outcomes today. I open my heart to You. Catch me in the updraft of Your grace, lift me above my current storm, and renew what has been depleted inside me. Teach me how to rest in Your power. Amen.

Application

Identify the area where you feel most exhausted right now. Practice the eagle's posture:

• Stop the Frantic Motion: Step away from the problem for 5 minutes and cease trying to force a solution.

• Lock Your Wings: Declare aloud: "Lord, I cannot carry this in my own strength, but I trust You to lift me."

• Ride the Updraft: Focus your attention on God's character rather than the storm in front of you.

Living in Today: Birds of the Air

Thursday August 13, 2026

Opening Prayer

Holy Spirit, breathe on these Scriptures as they are read. Make familiar words fresh, and new words clear. Stir faith, awaken hope, and lead us into the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Scripture

Matthew 6:26

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" 

Reflection

Let us notice as we begin that Jesus doesn't begin His teaching on anxiety with a heavy rebuke or a lecture. He begins with a simple, inviting command: "Look."

Jesus gets us to look up—to step out of that downward spiral of “what if everything goes wrong?” and notice the simple, everyday rhythms of creation all around us. Consider the birds outside your window. They’re not lying awake worrying about tomorrow’s schedule, the bills, or all the things that might go wrong next week. They don’t spend their days trying to store up enough to feel secure for the next ten years. They simply go about their lives—and somehow, day after day, God provides what they need.

Now, Jesus isn’t telling us to sit back and do nothing. We know, that Birds still get up every day, find food, build their nests, and take care of their young. The point is they don’t spend their lives worrying about what tomorrow might bring. Jesus is really teaching us about how we approach life and where we place our trust. Worry has a way of pulling us into a future that hasn’t even happened yet, getting us stuck in that endless loop of, “What if…?”

• What if the news is bad?

• What if the plan fails?

• What if resources run dry?

I believe that faith gently redirects our hearts with a deeper question: "What if God is already there?"

I read recently that "Anxiety attempts to solve tomorrow's problems using today's energy, leaving us chronically depleted." God, the Bible remids us, promises sufficient grace for the present hour. When tomorrow arrives, His faithfulness will meet us there just as it meets us now.

What I have learned is that Jesus invites us to practice a holy stillness. Stop. Breathe. Look up. Let the simple flight of the "birds of the air" remind you of your place in the Father's heart. (Remember the Sparrow?) If our Creator attends to the needs of creatures who cannot even pray, how much more will He sustain you as His beloved child?

Prayer

Jesus, I hand over the burdens and "what-ifs" I’ve been carrying today. Forgive me for trying to manage a tomorrow that isn't mine to carry yet. Quiet my racing thoughts, help me receive the specific grace You have provided for this exact moment, and teach me to rest securely in my heavenly Father's care. Amen.

Application

Whenever you catch yourself spiraling into worry today, use this three-step reset:

• Pause: Interrupt the thought loop and take a deliberate breath.

• Look: Glance out a window, step outside, or picture a bird in flight to ground your perspective.

• Declare: Whisper this truth aloud: "My Father knows what I need, and He is already in tomorrow."

New Beginnings: The Dove

 Tuesday August 11, 2026

Scripture

Genesis 8:11

“Then the dove returned to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!”

Reflection

Noah had been in the ark for a long time. The flood had changed everything.He couldn't see what was happening outside. He didn't know exactly when the waiting would end.

Then the dove returned with an olive leaf. It was a small thing—but it carried an enormous message:

Life was returning.

And I believe it matters that it was a dove. Throughout Scripture and indeed across cultures, doves have carried a particular kind of symbolism: gentleness, peace, purity, and the quiet arrival of hope. Doves don’t force their way into a scene—they appear softly, almost humbly. Their presence is often the sign that God is doing something gentle, something new, something life‑giving.

In the Noah’s story, the dove became a messenger of transition. The dove did not announce the dramatic end of the flood. Nor did the dove's presence signal the full restoration of the world. The Dove was the first sign that the long season of waiting was shifting.

I have found that many times God’s encouragement comes in the little experiences in life.

A conversation. A phone call. A little progress. A moment of peace. A door opening. A reminder from Scripture.

We may be looking for something dramatic while God is quietly showing us that new life is beginning.

The olive leaf in the Dove's beak did not mean everything was back to normal following the flood. There was still a lot of work ahead.

But it was evidence that the story was changing.

I wonder today how many of us need to notice the little signs of grace around us—the “doves” God sends your way, carrying hints of hope in their beaks.

Prayer

God, help me notice the small signs of Your grace. When I am waiting for something big, remind me not to overlook the little ways You are already bringing new life. Amen.

Application

Ask yourself: “Where might God be showing me that something new is beginning?”

Write down one small sign of hope you see today.

Out of Nowhere: The Raven

Monday August 10, 2026

Opening Prayer

Holy Spirit, breathe on these Scriptures as they are read. Make familiar words fresh, and new words clear. Stir faith, awaken hope, and lead us into the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Scripture

1 Kings 17:2-6

2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Reflection

Let's be honest: ravens aren't exactly the favorites of the bird world. If you're expecting a care package, you usually don't expect it to be delivered by a scavenger.

Ravens are incredibly intelligent, but they are also self-centered gatherers who look out for number one, and they are way more likely to steal your lunch than share theirs. That goes against every instinct they have. 

For me, that’s exactly what makes this story so interesting and encouraging. Let's confess the truth we know from our faith experiences, God rarely provides for us in the exact way we map out in our minds.

Picture Elijah. He’s hiding out by a stream in the middle of a massive, terrifying drought. He has absolutely no idea where his next meal is coming from, but God already had it covered. And His delivery method? A flock of selfish, noisy scavengers.

We often fall into the trap of believing that God's help must come through the “right” people,  or the perfectly arranged circumstances that we would have chosen ourselves. But thankfully, God isn’t limited by our expectations.

I believe our reading today of a scavenger bird dropping off a meal for a Prophet is the perfect reminder for us, that God can—and will—use completely unexpected people, weird circumstances, and out-of-the-blue opportunities to take care of us.

We may have no clue how God is going to pull it off and deliver his care for us. But, know this, we can absolutely trust that He will.

Prayer

Lord, help me to take a breath and trust You, especially when I can't see how things are going to work out. Remind me that the ways You provide aren't limited by my own expectations. Give me the eyes to see the weird, wonderful, and unexpected ways You're taking care of me today. Amen.

Today's Application

• Keep an eye out: Look for just one totally unexpected way God has provided for you recently (even if it didn't look the way you wanted it to).
  
  
• Show some gratitude: Thank God for something basic that you usually brush off or take for granted.
  
  
• When panic or anxiety sets in: If you find yourself stressing about tomorrow, just pause and pray: “God, I have no idea how this is going to happen, but I trust You.”