Gospel Reflections #1192: Remove the veil from my eyes

Psalm 119:18 ‘Remove the veil from my eyes, that I may gaze upon the marvellous power of your Law.’

This is a prayer that is of great importance to Christians, teaching us that in order to deeply understand God’s Word (the Bible and the Law), we need spiritual guidance from God—that is, for Him to open our eyes—rather than relying on human wisdom alone.

With human eyes alone—whether physical eyes or the eyes of human reason—we cannot fully comprehend the true value or spiritual meaning of the Bible.

David acknowledges his own weakness and limitations—‘Unless God opens the eyes of my heart (the eyes of the spirit), I will overlook what is truly important’—and humbly prays for God’s help.

The ‘Law’ referred to here is not merely a set of cold rules or obligations, but refers to ‘the guidelines for life that God has lovingly given to humankind’.

‘Marvellous power’ means something wonderful and mysterious, beyond human imagination.

Rather than reading the Bible merely as a collection of words, by asking God to open our eyes, we can discover the treasures within it: ‘God’s deep love for us’, ‘His plan of salvation’ and ‘wisdom for living’.

No matter how much knowledge of the Bible one possesses, without God’s help it becomes nothing more than an academic subject.

By offering a brief prayer—‘Open my eyes’—before opening the Bible, God will allow the message we need for that day to resonate in our hearts.

Day by day, we tend to be swayed by ‘the visible values of this world’, such as the media and the judgements of others. This prayer helps us to turn our eyes away from such worldly temptations and fix them on ‘God’s truth’, which is truly valuable.

The window to heaven is always open.

If we do not give up, God will answer us.

Let us continue to seek until we can see God’s will.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.