“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

I always look Customs and Immigration officials straight in the eyes when I am going through airports. I want them to know that I have nothing to hide, that I am honest and that my responses to their questions hold nothing back. I don’t want them to assign me to a search of my luggage, or my person.

Eye contact is important to us. We talk about “shifty eyes,” people whose honesty and sincerity we doubt because they won’t look us straight in the eye, or maintain eye contact with us. We worry about the fears of insecurities of someone who talks to us with head lowered, refusing to look at us directly.

God wants eye contact.

When I read this verse this morning, I connected it with a verse I read several days ago. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says: “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

We know that God doesn’t have a physical form. He doesn’t have literal eyes that we can look into, nevertheless the image given here speaks for itself. I am invited to make eye contact; to come before the Lord openly and honestly, to leave nothing hidden (as if I could), to drown myself in His gaze as a lover would. He, in turn, looks for me. He watches for me, for that heart that is fully committed.

Jerry Bridges, commenting on the definition of heart in The Pursuit of Holiness paraphrases one of the Puritan fathers, John Owen, when he writes: “The mind as it reasons, discerns, and judges; the emotions as they like or dislike; the conscience as it determines and warms; and the will as it chooses or refuses — are all together called the heart” (pg. 64).

How do we seek the face, look straight into the eyes of One who has no face, no eyes? As we look into the Word of God and allow the Spirit of God to turn its light toward all those dark corners in us, we are allowing His eyes to search us and know us. As we look into His Word, we see Him through the eyes of His written revelation and come to know Him as one who looks into her lover’s eyes and reads his heart. Hebrews 4:12 tells us: “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Another common thread shared between these two verses is the word “strength.” As I seek His face through His word, He gives me strength. As I allow His eyes to bore into mine, chasing the darkness from the corners of my heart and making it fully committed to Him, I will have eyes for no other, and will know more fully each day, the reality of the strength that flows from His eyes through mine to find root in my heart.

The words of Paul Baloche’s song, Open The Eyes of My Heart speak volumes to me about the eye contact that I need to constantly have with God.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord/Open the eyes of my heart/I want to see You/I want to see You/To see you high and lifted up/shining in the light of your glory/Lord, pour out your power and love/as we sing Holy, Holy, Holy/Open the eyes of my heart Lord/Open the eyes of my heart/I want to see You/I want to see You/To see you high and lifted up/shining in the light of your glory/Lord, pour out your power and love/as we sing Holy, Holy, Holy/Holy, Holy, Holy,/you are Holy, Holy Holy/Holy, Holy, Holy/I want to see you.

Oh yes, I want to see You, Lord, and be able to unashamedly look you straight in the eyes.