The Danger Of Tunnel Vision #1 Series

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?