This post was last updated on April 4, 2026

Day 10 (Year 2)

Opening the Eyes of the Heart

“Do not love sleep, or you will become poor; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.” (Proverbs 20:13 NASB)

… “Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.'” (Ephesians 5:14 NKJV)

Jesus delights to see our eyes of hearts opened, so that we can really see His truth and His work. Yet sadly, there are those whose eyes, once opened, soon close again. The first verse above reminds us not to love sleep but to keep our eyes open. In ancient agricultural societies, there were few ways for people to avoid work, and excessive sleep was the primary means of escapism. By contrast, many people who live in cities today are deprived of sleep, which has worsened various health problems. Thus, we should get adequate rest and sleep regularly to avoid illness. If we struggle with other issues, such as love of leisure, overeating, or being money-minded, these, too, should be addressed. The second half of the verse tells us that when people’s eyes are open wide, they will naturally be motivated to work for food and be satisfied with it. I believe this verse also applies to believers in their pursuit of spiritual nourishment. When the eyes of our hearts are opened, we will hunger for spiritual fullness. The key is that those who have fallen asleep spiritually must first be willing to wake up.

The content of the second verse may seem puzzling. How can a person who is asleep wake themselves up? I understand the “love sleep” in the first verse can be a cross-reference to interpret the second, and that some people who choose to sleep and ignore the work and illumination of Jesus. Indeed, those who are only pretending to sleep cannot be awakened by others. The only way is for them to choose to wake themselves up. The second half of the verse states, “arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” The Greek word for “arise” is anistemi, which also means “rise, to stand up, of those who leave a place of the dead.” In other words, the verse is a call directed at those who have aligned themselves with spiritual death, even including believers who may have joined such people, urging them to arise, to leave those gone astray to death, but to receive the illumination of Christ and His resurrection. We who are illuminated by His light can clearly perceive His revelations, and receive freedom of His Spirit with spiritual nourishment, then grow stronger in Him to experience the fullness of His salvation.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel that your spiritual eyes are open and that you are growing in God’s fullness? In any case, do you sense a hunger within you?

2) Recently, have you been in close fellowship with those who are spiritually dead, or with those who are living in the true light of Christ?