I visited an eye doctor for a routine check and left with a lesson that agreed with our text. My conversation with the doctor soon veered to her lecturing me about a condition called astigmatism. The doctor told me the story of a young boy whose parents had given up on. The boy was listless in class, almost to the point of losing his mind. Everything was done to sober him but to no avail. The next move by the parent was to take him for deliverance; having concluded that his problem was spiritual. After sessions of deliverance he was no better. Somebody eventually recommended that they see an eye doctor, and he was diagnosed with astigmatism. The doctor explained to me that this abnormality sends conflicting images to a patient, and this explains why the boy’s behaviour was uncoordinated. After a series of treatments, he was restored and became a top performer in his class to the chagrin of those who knew him before.

Conflicting images will lead to confusion and doubts. It will surely slow down one’s pace. Nothing but a clear focus can help us to excel.

I believe that this condition has its spiritual parallel. We may think of spiritual astigmatism, where an individual has conflicting images in mind and thoughts. Just as physical astigmatism has disturbing, confusing effects, spiritual astigmatism will be no less damaging. In our text, David prayed that God would lead him on a plain path. It’s like David was praying against spiritual astigmatism. He did not want conflicting views in his mind. Conflicting images will lead to confusion and doubts. It will surely slow down one’s pace. Nothing but a clear focus can help us to excel.