As Far As Your Eyes Can See, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye

As Far As Your Eyes Can See, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye

There are two types of eye and equally, there are two types of sights.
There is a physical eye, so also is the spiritual eye.
In the same vein, there is physical sight and there is a spiritual sight.
As crucial as physical eye and sight are in the life of an individual; the absence of spiritual eye and sight can render the total vision of that individual useless. Lack of vision can destroy.
Proverbs 29:18 – Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

There are graduated levels in eyesight both in the physical and spiritual sense.
We go to the optician to check the level of our physical eyesight so that if it’s not in line with what can be classified as normal, our eyesight can be enhanced or improved.
So also are there levels of spiritual eyesight. It is possible for one spiritual eyesight to be abnormal, normal and supernormal.

In I Kings 18: 41-46, three spiritual eyesight were enumerated: Ahab that was spiritually insensitive, he couldn’t sense that heavy rain was about to start, instead he was eating and drinking; Elijah’s servant was able to discern that the little cloud he saw could be significant to the much awaited rain; Elijah however knew that the little cloud his servant saw was a sign of abundant rainfall about to start.

In physical sense, the farther a person can see, the more advantage they have over other around them (e.g. in armed conflict, we were taught that in order to stay alive, one must be able to see their enemy first). In driving test, the first thing the instructor asks is for you to read something a bit far away. It is to check your physical sight. If you don’t pass that, he will discontinue the test.

So also the farther a person can see in the spirit, the greater the advantage they have over others around them (e.g. Peter walked on water).
Matthew 14:29 – And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

No wonder it was the shadow of Peter that was performing miracles because he could see far.
Acts 5:15-16 – Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Gideon 300 men were chosen because they had the advantage of seeing the enemy first in comparison to their 9,700 colleagues.
Judges 7:5-7 – So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

Again, their spiritual eyesight was greater. Having been given trumpet, flashlight and pitchers to go and fight an armed and seasoned host of the Midianites and they agreed. Their reward must be a lot when the battle was over compared to the other 31,700.

From childhood, Joseph began to see far into his future. He saw that a time will come when his eleven brothers will bow to him; he also saw that his parents would in the future accord him unusual respect and honour.
At 17 years of age, it appeared that the vision would be impossible to happen. Joseph was by that time sold by his older siblings into slavery; he was bought by the Ishmaelite and taken to Egypt. He was in-turn sold to Potiphar – Pharaoh’s Chief Security Officer.
As if that was not enough, Joseph was later thrown into the dungeon for a crime he didn’t commit. Under such circumstance, if a man cannot see far, he will certainly lose hope and can even commit suicide. Joseph however persevered and hoped in The Lord his God, as he was expectant that the vision he saw will still happen.
At age 30, his dreamt vision eventually materialised. He was made the Prime Minister in Egypt; such that only Pharaoh was higher than him!
Genesis 41:39-40 — And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
This happened because he had a glimpse of what God intended to do with his destiny. Otherwise, he could have fallen, especially for the scheme of Potiphar’s wife along the line.

– May God open your eyes to see what lies ahead of your destiny.
If one is able to see ahead, your disposition to life will be different. How can I do this and sinned against God…
May what you see inspire hope and patience in you.
May every persecutor of your vision later come to bow to you.
Joseph’s dreams of over 13 years eventually came to pass; may your vision and dream not fade out like smoke.

In I Sam. 17:1-51, Saul led the children of Israel to war against the Philistines. By this time, King Saul had lost spiritual vision. He was no more hearing from God. He was under the influence of Satan. Himself and the several thousands of people with him were dreadful of one man – Goliath of Gath, so that for 40 days, Goliath tormented the camp of Israel and none could challenge him.
David appeared on the war front by chance. He, however, was a man of great vision. He could see the opportunity the death of Goliath could bring to him. He could see the manner of death Goliath would die, even while he was still bragging. So it wasn’t a surprise to him, unlike everyone else when Goliath fell.
1 Samuel 17:43-47 – And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord ‘s, and he will give you into our hands.

In life, we all face different kinds of Goliath at different times. The Goliath that one could not see it’s end while it’s still boasting, may eventually see one’s end.
The farthest King Saul could see the whole of Israel before Goliath was that they would eventually become slaves. May you not become a slave to your enemy.
How far can you see yourself against what you are facing? Will you be a victor or a victim? A captor or a captive? The overcome or the overcomer? May the anointing that sees the end of Goliath come upon you.

At a later time, David was chased out of town by King Saul because David posed a threat to Saul’s dynasty. David and his men kept hiding from one cave to another; from one stronghold to another. They were living on occasional raids on villages and travelling merchants.
A day came when David sent some of his men to go and ask for meat from a livestock farmer called Nabal, whom they have been watchful of his animals.
Nabal being a hard-hearted man insulted David and gave David’s men nothing. David was very angry and planned to kill every male in Nabal’s compound, when Nabal’s wife got to know what had happened and quickly intervened (I Sam. 25:1-41).
1 Samuel 25:10-11 – And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

Though David was poor and destitute at the time; Abigail could see far ahead that he was a ruler to be and so honoured him accordingly. She even said when David would eventually ascend the throne, he should please remember her. Shocking!
1 Samuel 25:23-31 – And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

14 times Abigail called David my lord in her plea. Meanwhile, she might be older. It was impossible for David to resist her person and her entreaty. So it happened that about a week’s time, Nabal died suddenly and straightaway Abigail became married to David. So she became one of the senior queens in the palace when David became the king of Judah & Israel.

There is an error I have seen in my days because people could not see far into their relationships, they have treated their potential wife or husbands as ordinary friends. Such that a time comes when they would later think they should have actually be married to that person.

If there is someone here that has made such an error and is still single, may God grant you another chance. If you are a lady, may your eyes be opened to see your own David. If you are a man, may you recognise your own Abigail.

You are here, a woman of marriageable age, a man has proposed to marry you. Your answer was that you will think about it. It is good you are thinking on it, ask God to open your eyes regarding him; if he is your king or not. Don’t just judge him because he looks like a destitute today.

In Hebrew 12:1-2, the bible tells us that Jesus agreed and endured the death on the cross because He could see beyond the agony and shame that would come with it.
Hebrews 12:2 – Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Some of the joy set before Christ were:
He knew that instead of Him being the only Son of His Father, through His death and eventual resurrection, God will have many more children;
The saints will be able to live a victorious life over Satan;
No one can approach the Father, except through Him (Phil. 2: 9-10).
Can you see the joy set before you after that cross?
If you can’t, you will only murmur and grumble. Then you would have lost your throne.
But if you endured the time of your cross, you will reign with joy, as Jesus is right now.

Some years ago, I joined the Nigerian Army. I was enlisted on 04 January 1988. The training was tough and unbearable. It was not easy to turn a civilian into a combatant soldier in six months. A key reason while many of us finished the training was that right from the onset, we knew our proposed passing out parade day (POP). So we knew that the training was not a cross to be carried indefinitely.
It was on the programme, 08 July 1988.
We started counting weeks, and later then days.
Eventually the day came, what a day of great joy.
Our toughest instructors all came to rejoice with us.
May you ‘Passing Out Parade’ day meet you still waiting.

In Gen. 13:14-18, Lot departed from Abraham. It must have been a difficult time for Abraham to see Lot go; this is the person that he had come to take as a child. God, however, appeared to him at this time and renewed and increased His earlier promises to him.
To us, the departing Lot can represent excess baggage, worldliness, distractions, etc. if we want to see far, we must be willing to separate ourselves from anyone or anything that is blocking our vision.

In order for one to see far, two things are necessary: one would need to lift up their eyes, and their vision must be sharp. Both Lot and Abram lifted up their eyes, but there was a difference in the sharpness of their vision. Lot saw the plains of Sodom watered and green, Abram saw the whole of Canaan, though dry where he was, he knew that God could not fail him. No wonder they had two different results.
Lot put his trust in nature and ready provision, but Abram put his trust in God of the supernatural.

The principal reason Abram was holding unto Lot was because he seemed to him as a child; God, however, promised him that his children will be uncountable. So that Lot cannot be compared to what is coming.
You may have lost your Lot; God will give you your Isaac that will yield multitude.

God asked Abram to take a walk through the length and breadth of his inheritance. This is to increase the desire of Abram and inspire his hope and faith in God. At 75, Abram crossed the desert to be here; possibly now in his nineties, God was asking him to conduct a tour of the land. It must be rigorous for a ninety-year-old to do. But he did it all the same.

It was not just sightseeing; it was a prophetic ownership surveillance of the land Abram was doing. As a result of his obedience, he found the plains of Mamre in Hebron.

Mamre – fatness
Hebron – fellowship
If Abram had not surveyed the land, he would not have discovered Mamre.
He knew that if he continued in fellowship with God, he will experience fatness, though he was surrounded by physical desert.
He then built an altar to have fellowship with God.
May God lead you to your Mamre. May you get to your Hebron.
When you get there, don’t forget your sacrifice unto God.

Prayer
Haggai 2:8
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.
– Father, make me to enjoy all that belongs to you.

Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
– Father, help me to leave a good legacy for my children’s children.

Proverbs 20:21
An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
– Father, help me to patiently wait for my Divine inheritance.

Psalms 37:29
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.
– Father, make me to inherit the earth forever.

Proverbs 17:2
A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.
– Father, let not my inheritance be passed to another because of my mistake.

2 Kings 6:17
And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
– Father, open my eyes to see what you have prepared for me.

The sermon, As Far As Your Eyes Can See, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye, was delivered on October 29, 2017.