THE DANGER OF TUNNEL VISION #1
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part 1 of a 2 part series, if you need part two email me.
TEXT:
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision the people perish...
Ruth 1:20 Naomi says to her friends: Don’t call me Naomi any more, call me MARA: for the Lord hath dealt
VERY BITTERLY WITH ME. 21. The Lord has brought me home empty...
Joshua 7:21 When I SAW the spoils, a goodly babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a
wedge of gold, THEN I COVETED THEM and TOOK THEM and hid them under the floor of my tent.
I WON! I FINALLY WON! I DIDN’T SEE THE MESS I MADE?
There were two river boats that often would meet on the Mississippi. The captains of the two river boats
were in a rivalry. The paddle wheelers would pull along side by side and would race to see which was
the best. Every time the one paddle wheeler would pull away and win.
The defeated boat captain would be so disappointed and angry as he lost and then he would lose again.
One day the paddle wheeler rounded the bend and there was the dreaded victorious boat, just waiting to
rub still another victory into the captain’s face.
The two boats pull along side, neck and neck. They both threw more coal on the steam engines.
Seems the poor old captain was going to lose again. Then the losing captain started throwing some
of the boat’s furniture on the fire, they were staying even. The captain remembered they had cargo of
several tons of meat and animal fat on board. They started throwing the cargo on the fire. The boat got
lighter and the fire was much hotter.
The captain had his men throw all the cargo into the boilers as the boat’s furniture burned. The cargo was
burning very, very hot, --- the losing captain burnt everything on board his vessel.
The captain looked back and saw he had finally won, his beautiful paddle wheeler had pulled ahead
and left the other boat far behind.
Later, the winning paddle wheeler pulled his boat into the home dock to unload, but there was nothing
on board. Every thing had been burned to achieve the victory!
The captain won the race, but lost his job and disappointed those he served.
Have you ever won and then realized you had lost? Can we SEE the price of victory can be very costly?
1. TUNNEL VISION IS A SATANIC TRICK!
A. There is a terrible optical problem that is caused by the pressure in the eye being too high.
This condition is called glaucoma. The high pressure pushes on the optic nerve and causes the nerve
to cave in, this is called a cupped nerve. Vision then can only be seen in the part of the base of the cupped
area, thus the vision is limited to only what is directly in front of the eye.
B. TUNNEL VISION IS A CONSTRICTION OF THE VISUAL FIELD RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF PERIPHERAL
VISION. TUNNEL VISION IS AN EXTREME NARROWNESS OF A VIEW POINT, NARROW-MINDEDNESS, OR A
LIMITED SCOPE.
C. Satan plays TUNNEL VISION in the mind of believers. We must catch this trick and avoid it. This satanic
trick will get the believer to focus on today, how I feel today, what are the circumstances today. The satanic
plan wants every believer to focus on THE LITTLE PICTURE and the problems of today. He wants you to
forget yesterday’s blessings and tomorrow’s hopes and dreams.
D. GOD WANTS YOU TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE more than just the valley you walk through today.
We cannot lose the focus on the BIGGER PICTURE.
E. To put a puzzle together with understanding, it certainly helps to have a picture of what the finished puzzle
will look like. Well, with tunnel vision we can be in great danger of just seeing this one piece of the puzzle
that we hold in our hand. Maybe this small piece of the puzzle does not make sense today, hang on, wait.
2. TUNNEL VISION IS AS DANGEROUS AS NO VISION!
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision the people perish...
A. While no vision is dangerous, let us consider many other dangerous vision patterns.
Distorted or unclear vision, dull vision, limited vision.
We need an external vision, but we also need internal vision to be well balanced.
WE CAN ONLY REACH OUR GREATEST POTENTIAL WHEN OUR VISION CAN SEE THE INVISIBLE!
B. LOOK AT THE MOUNTAIN YOU ARE FACING? Look at the problems in this marriage? Tell me what is
wrong? I just can’t see God in this? There is no way? The circumstances dictate how I feel?
I will believe it when I see it?
LET US STUDY TUNNEL VISION IN THE BIBLE!
3. ONE OF THE GREATEST SATANIC TOOLS IS AS OLD AS THE GARDEN OF EDEN. THE SUBTLE VISION
PLAN WAS TO CATCH EVE ALONE AND CONSTRICT HER VISION.
A. Look at the big picture of the Garden of Eden. It was beautiful. Look at all the trees and all the animals
that Adam and Eve could enjoy. Think, in the cool of the evening God would come and walk and talk with
His new creatures. It was a beautiful sight to see the Creator in fellowship with His creation. Look at the
big picture of the DIVINE PLAN.
B. Eve would be caught in a down time. The enemy would isolate the woman from man and from God.
The enemy would constrict Eve’s vision. Eve saw a false mirage and believe it.
C. Gen. 3: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then YOUR EYES SHALL BE OPENED, and
ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6. And when the WOMAN SAW that the tree was good for food, and that it was PLEASANT TO THE EYES,
and a tree to be desired to make one wise she TOOK of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and GAVE also
unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
D. OPEN EYES, CLOSE HEART?
Gen. 3: 7 And the EYES of them both were OPENED, and they knew ----
E. The enemy’s tactic was to work through the woman’s eyes. The tunnel vision tactic was applied to
a woman to develop a visual field problem. Eve lost her vision of God and God’s plan. By focusing on
one tree, the history of man would carry sin and heartbreak. Did Eve think about visiting Abel’s grave?
The vagabond spirit that Cain would develop when the enemy constricted their vision?
By the vision of one tree, the cross, God would redeem the visual field of man.
F. Fallen man?
Gen. 3:8 After the visual problem of tunnel vision, Adam and Eve would never experience the presence of
God as before. The couple hid from God? There is no record of confession and repentance.
The first couple learned how to play the blame game.
4. THE LESSON OF NAOMI’S TUNNEL VISION.
DEATH CAN DISTORT YOUR VISION AND PUSH YOUR FAITH INTO DEPRESSION.
Ruth 1:20 Naomi says to her friends: Don’t call me Naomi any more, call me MARA: for the Lord hath dealt
VERY BITTERLY WITH ME. 21. The Lord has brought me home empty...
A. Yes, Naomi today you are bitter, your husband and your two sons are dead, but God has a plan. God
loves you and God will make a way for you. Naomi had TUNNEL VISION. All Naomi could see was the pain
of today. Hang on girl, wait, God will make a way.
Ruth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, BLESSED BE THE LORD, WHICH HAS NOT LEFT YOU THIS DAY
WITHOUT A KINSMAN, that his name may be famous.
15. And he shall be a RESTORER OF YOUR LIFE, AND A NOURISHER OF THINE OLD AGE: for thy daughter in
law, which LOVES YOU, WHICH IS BETTER TO YOU THAN SEVEN SONS.
16. And Naomi took the child, and laid in her bosom, and became a nurse unto it.
B. Yes, death was cruel to Naomi, but God had a plan. This kinsman redeemer gave a grandson ...Obed ...
Jessie ... David ... Jesus. We must learn to control our emotions when the tunnel vision gets us to focus on
the pain and disappointments of today.
5. THE LESSON OF ACHAN’S TUNNEL VISION: MATERIALISM ---
A. God guaranteed a mighty victory in the little town of Ai.
God’s people ran in fear and defeat? Why?
36 men die a needless death? Why?
B. THE LESSON IS EASY, ACHAN LOST THE BIGGER PICTURE BY FOCUSING ON THE SMALL!
Joshua 7:21 When I SAW the spoils a goodly babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a
wedge of gold, THEN I COVETED THEM and TOOK THEM and hid them under the floor of my tent.
C. Achan’s tunnel vision got him to focus on things and not God’s orders.
D. To this day in the Valley of Achor, there is a place where people still throw stones on what is believed
is Achan’s grave. Why? 36 innocent people died, because Achan had eye trouble, he had constricted vision.
Achan’s small vision on things, caused death to visit the camp! How sad?
E. Today people have tunnel vision, they place overtime before worship. They place things more important
than the family. Many families have the newest toys and fancy clothes, but love is not there.
You cannot buy happiness. What is the value system of your family?
6. THE LESSON OF TUNNEL VISION CAUSED BY UNCHECKED DESIRE AND LUST ----
A. The Old Testament records God had a plan for a man. What a great potential this man had?
This man had a Godly Mother and Father. This man was raised in the church. God announced his plan
for this man even before the man’s birth. But as a young man this man developed poor vision that
would limit his usefulness to God.
Judges 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and SAW A WOMAN in Timnath of the daughters
of the Philistines.
B. Samson was very strong, yet he was very weak. It is OK to be weak, if we learn to guard our weakness
with developing safety nets to protect our hearts. Seems Samson could not focus beyond his eye sight.
The enemy had laid a terrible trap before this strong man. This strong man could not be defeated from
without. The battles that would trap Samson came from within!
C. Part of my heart feels so sorry for this weak strong man. But there are no sadder words of the tongue or
the pen, than what might have been? What great and mighty victories might Samson have won, but he
DEVELOPED TUNNEL VISION, and could not see beyond his fleshly desires.
D. Samson’s poor choices continue to grow. The bait in the satanic trap had a great lure. Samson
seemed to forget choices have consequences.
Judges 14:2 And Samson came, and told his Father and his Mother, I HAVE SEEN A WOMAN ...
E. God used several sources to try and open Samson’s vision, but Samson was so strong why worry?
Judges 16:1 Then Samson went to Gaza, and there SAW A HARLOT, and WENT IN TO HER.
F. Samson’s tunnel vision focuses on the lust of his heart. Samson did not see where the road he was
choosing would lead? Do you think Samson looked ahead?
G. Life was going to teach Samson a painful lesson. Samson would learn to see more without his eyes,
than when he could see. Faith is sight that sees the invisible!
Judges 16:21 But the Philistines took Samson, and PUT OUT HIS EYES, and brought him down to Gaza,
and BOUND HIM WITH FETTERS, he did grind in the prison house.
H. The man that could not be bound was bound and Samson became like a mule or a horse grinding in
the prison. How does it feel to wake up in prison in the enemy’s camp? How did Samson’s eyes feel
as they burned the eyes out of their sockets? Imagine the pain? Imagine the smell? Imagine a free man
called of God being treated like an animal? Imagine Samson’s heart as he heard the pagan’s mock and
make fun of his God and his nation.
I. SAMSON HAD TO LOSE HIS SIGHT TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
OTHER VISUAL PROBLEMS TO CONSIDER: near sightedness, far sightedness, cross-eyed,
green eyes (jealousy), double vision, color blindness, glaucoma, foreign objects in the eye,
detached retina, macular degeneration, fatal vision.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com This is part one of a two part series.
Help me please? Enlarge my hands? Pass this on to another?
