What Are Your Eyes Saying?

Recently, while studying Proverbs 4, I began to wonder about the physical connection between the various members of the body and the heart; this theme is woven throughout the chapter. As I meditated on the fact that our senses act upon and reveal the intents of our hearts, I began to research their physical relationship. The result was transformative. 

Proverbs 4:20-25 mentions the relationship of the ears (vs. 20), eyes (vs. 21, 25), and mouth (vs. 24). There is a divine connection. The mouth speaks what is in the heart (Matthew 12:34). The ears hear what the heart wants to know (Matthew 13:15). However, the eyes are used throughout all of Scripture. God gives specific attention to the eye. Why? Jesus taught that “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness” (Luke 11:33-36). The word “light” carries the idea of a guiding candle or lamp. When the heart is pure, the eyes will reveal it. When the heart is sickened by sin, the eyes will expose it.

An interesting study was done on the eyes over the past decade. Essentially researchers concluded that “the eyes do more than allow us to see; they have something to say. In fact, an eye exam can reveal underlying health problems… the arrangement of blood vessels at the back of the eye… is closely connected to the health of your heart. That means issues we see in the eye can be directly linked to health problems with the heart and the vessels in your body.“

It is little wonder that the One who created our amazing bodies also gave us His Word. Allow His Word to prick your heart. Where do your eyes go?

What symptoms do your eyes have?

• Do they look at wickedness or ludeness? That reveals a lustful heart. 
• Are they constantly looking at the riches and blessings of others? That reveals a covetous heart. 
• Do they look only at problems? That reveals a faithless heart. 

The list could go on and on. The eyes are symptoms we follow to find our spiritual diagnosis. Interestingly, medical researchers developed a program to analyze eyes and detect illness. However, their program “won’t find the disease, but it can find risk factors that would be associated with heart failure.” Likewise, we cannot always see where our sin lies; we look through sin-filled eyes. However, there is One who knows all things. 

So, let us pray with the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me…” (Psalm 133:23-24). We must look “into the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:22-25) and yield our lives to the skill of the Great Physician to do His healing work in our hearts. May our hearts be pure and our eyes ever “looking unto Jesus“ (Hebrews 12:1-2).