And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. – Isaiah 11:3
“If you can see the invisible, you can do the impossible.”
This popular quotation sums up one of the most crucial principles for operating in the life of a new creature:
You’ve got to see it in order to get it.
And also: you’ve got to get it in order to see it.
Now I’m not talking about physical sight. For starters, the Word is very clear in reflecting our reality which is that we walk by faith and not by sight.
But even in the natural, every act of creation is a testimony to the creator’s ability to see.
That painting of an apple, the outfit you chose to put on this morning, the way you planned out your day (or allowed others to do it for you), the way you sang that song, the way you argued with your spouse, the way you spent the 5 spare minutes you had at lunchtime, the way you made someone a cup of tea…all of it is a reflection of the way you see things.
And again: I’m not talking about the sight of your eyes. I’m talking about the sight behind what you see. I’m talking about seeing through your eyes and not just with your eyes.
Now the Word reveals to us that Jesus lived life simply by doing what He saw His Father do. It also reveals in Isaiah 11:3 that Jesus did not judge or govern by the sight of His eyes.
So how did He see without seeing?
In the natural, the answer would be along the lines of instinct and expertise. Some people just inherently get pottery/oil pastels/knitting/salesmanship/choreography better than other people because of how they’re wired or because of the level of expertise and exposure they’ve achieved through developing skills and proficiency in what they do.
But there’s a deeper level where it’s not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit…which is what the Word declares in Isaiah 11:2.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— Isaiah 11:2
The entrance of the Word giveth light. But it is the Spirit who transforms that light into insight, wisdom, understanding…where you get what God is doing in any given situation and just do what you just know by the Spirit.
That’s what the Spirit wants to teach you today (and every day). He wants to help you see the things that have been freely given to you…the things that “eye has not seen” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
You will do the impossible when you see the invisible. And you will see the invisible as you spend time in fellowship with the Spirit.
Selah.