From the Home Place

November 12, 2025

Last night, Miss Deb’s phone literally lit up with post after post of the Northern Lights. But the best part was that we drove out north of town, sat on a county road and Miss Deb was able to see the Northern Lights for the first time in her earthly travel. Me not so much.

Yesterday we started at 50 degrees, today at 4 a.m. it’s 28. That’s what a clear sky during the night does for us. However, a clear sky impacts more than the temperature.

You see, the Lord knit my body together with being color blind. All my life, I’ve struggled to distinguish colors. Dark colors are the most difficult to see, especially against a dark background. Last night was no exception. Miss Deb marveled over the beautiful red and green colors in the night sky, all I could see was a dark night sky.

When we are driving down the road and pass an apple tree in the fall, Miss Deb will say, “Wow, look at all of the apples on that tree!” All I see is a tree. Oh, and don’t worry about your orange vest giving you away when you are hunting in timber, I can’t see you until you move. I know just how those ‘ol bugle cows feel about the whole orange thing.

Here’s my comparison for today – some folks are spiritually color blind. It is always interesting how two people can look at the same verse of Scripture and only one of them can see the truth of that passage, while the other one says, “I don’t see it.”

Being physically color blind has allowed me to sympathize with people who are Spiritually color blind. The truth is right there, literally starring them in the face, and they can’t see it. It’s no laughing matter; in fact it is plumb frustrating for the one who can’t “see it!”

Yes, I know they now have glasses to help with color blindness – but they are expensive, and they do not work for everyone. For me, the real blessing is to have a sweet wife who knows to describe the beauty she is seeing to me. There is a real cure for spiritual color blindness, the Holy Spirit can help a person see that which they can’t see normally.

For all of us, the way the Holy Spirit describes the beauty of the Bible is a great blessing! That is why we should always ask for His assistance before we start reading our Bible. “Holy Spirit, please help me see the real truth of this passage, and then please help me to rightly apply it to my life.”

You see, the Holy Spirit can, and will, help us see the beauty of God’s amazing Word if we just ask. But it seems that His revelation comes the clearest to the person who is willing to apply the revealed truth. If all a person desires is to know God’s truth so that said person can act smarter during Sunday School or during small group, don’t expect the Holy Spirit to get involved in that parade. A heart desire to allow Scripture to change who we are is the key to the Holy Spirit’s assistance in “seeing” the beauty of biblical truth.

In summary, physical color blindness is something a person learns to live with. Spiritual color blindness is something that the Holy Spirit can heal immediately. Please, ask for His assistance every time before you open your Bible. When you do, it’s AMAZING the beautiful picture God has painted in the Bible for us to see!

Last night, I couldn’t see any difference in the night sky, but when Miss Deb took a picture of that sky, then I could see what she was looking at because I was no longer looking into the darkness of night. Looking at a picture on her phone was illuminating. The same is true when reading the Bible with the assistance of the Holy Spirit’s illumination – beauty abounds!

Seeing God’s beauty with you, Neal