Sight is a wonderful gift most of us take for granted. Yet for those who can’t see there are great difficulties and dangers. A blind person can’t see what is around them or dangers they might fall into.
A blind person, leading a blind person puts both in danger.
“If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14
This warning becomes all the more significant when we think of the Unseen Landscape.
We can see our natural surroundings and we know where the bumps and ditches are. But there is another landscape which we journey through and we can’t see it’s bumps and ditches.
Our natural, physical world is built within a spiritual world. The spiritual world is God’s realm, including angels and demons, blessings and curses and also spiritual dangers such as death and hell.
The spirit world existed first, as we see from the first verse of the Bible.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
God, in the spirit realm, pre-existed the material realm.
So our material world exists inside a spirit realm which we can’t see. Most of the time that is of little consequence, but those who are wise pay great attention to the Unseen Landscape of the spirit realm.
A simple example is that of Balaam, who was hired to curse God’s people thousands of years ago. He was keen to get paid a large sum of money and headed off to the task, angering God. God sent an angel to stop him.
Balaam could not see the angel, but his donkey could. The donkey veered off course to protect Balaam, but Balaam thought the donkey was just being difficult. Balaam beat his donkey. Later the angel stood in a narrow place and again the donkey saw him. This time the donkey squeezed past the angel, crushing Balaam’s leg against a rock. Again Balaam was angry.
Finally the angel blocked a place too narrow for the donkey to get around. Balaam urged the donkey on, yet the donkey wanted to protect Balaam. The donkey simply collapsed on the spot, causing Balaam to go crazy beating him.
The donkey spoke to Balaam, protesting the abuse. At that moment Balaam’s eyes were opened and he saw the angel. The angel told Balaam the donkey had saved his life.
Balaam was blind to the Unseen Landscape. If he had been on foot he would have walked into death, not knowing it was an angel that killed him.
Maybe we should all ride donkeys, as insurance against danger.
Another example is that of Elisha being pursued by the king of Aram. The king sent an army to surround the town of Dotham, where Elisha lived. When Elisha’s servant rose in the morning he was terrified by the great army surrounding them. Elisha was untroubled, and he prayed that God would open the servant’s eyes.
“Elisha said, Do not be afraid, for those with us are more than those with them. Then Elisha prayed and said, O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see. So the Lord opened the young man’s eyes and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2Kings 6:16,17
What chance did the king of Aram have against Elisha? None. Yet by what could be seen in the natural realm Elisha was done for.
Another example is the people of Israel in the wilderness who refused to go into the promised land. God put a curse on them that they would die in the wilderness. Over the next thirty eighty years they all died. It would make no difference if they went to the gym every day and had a super diet. It would make no difference if they were fitness freaks or followed Tibetan monastic life. They were going to die within forty years, like it or not. There was effectively a curse sitting on their heads, which one who could see the Unseen Landscape would be able to see.
Another example is that of things God cursed, such as all the goods in the city of Jericho. When God curses something we are warned not to take it, or the curse will come onto us.
“Keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction.” Joshua 6:18
Achan took items from Jericho and brought a blight onto Israel. He and his family had to be destroyed to release that curse which was only visible in the Unseen Landscape.
Because of the significance of the Unseen Landscape it is a sad thing that people who are spiritually blind rise up to lead others, leading their followers into trouble.
“The leaders of this people cause them to go astray; and they that are led by them are destroyed.” Isaiah 9:16
I challenge you to be careful and to give due respect to God and what He says. Many people around you, and maybe you too, are contaminated and acting ignorantly, and bringing danger and destruction onto themselves and their families.
You can’t normally see into the spirit realm, but it is more powerful over what happens in the visible world than all the effort and energy you can muster.
Humbly submit yourself to God and ask Him to open your eyes to things you need to deal with that are bringing problems on you and your loved ones. Be willing to repent of wrong actions and to get out of your hands things you should not have. You don’t want any curse or any accursed thing in your home.
And press in to God for His blessings, because they too, while not seen with natural eyes, have more power to do you good than all the huffing and puffing people do to get ahead.
May you be free from every evil and live with all the blessings of the Unseen Landscape.
Chris Field says
I narrated this Post as a video on YouTube, with the text as well, for you to follow along.
Check out this important message and let me read it to you.
This is also something great to share with those who would rather listen to the message than read it.
Here’s the link to Unseen Landscape on my Getting on with Life YouTube Channel ….
https://youtu.be/qJl87VcxBlw