The beggar had been blind since birth… but if you think about it, we are all born blind…born with Spiritual blindness. It says that Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud, and smeared it on the man’s eyes, and then told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. There are several stories throughout the Gospels of Jesus using this unusual tactic to heal…He was literally placing a piece of Himself- His DNA, on the person needing the healing. Later, after the Pharisees were done interrogating the man, Jesus found him, and asked if he believed in the Messiah. And for the very first time the man “saw” Jesus for who He really was. Open your eyes and see your Savior.
Month: February 2013
Job 13:15 ” Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.”
Despite the fact that he didn’t understand why he was suffering, Job continued to trust in God. Could we keep trusting the Lord even when we don’t understand…when sickness and impending death permeates every moment of our lives, could we still be confident in Him? When we’re deep in the darkness of the valley, could we still hope in Him…and would we be able to wait in that hopeful expectation without fear, knowing God was our refuge and strength for whatever happened next? Though He strike me, nevertheless, I will put my trust in Him.
Mark 10: 14-15 ” Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
To get the essence of what the Lord is saying in this passage, we all need to go visit a Kindergarten class. While there, we will see every kind of emotion freely expressed by children who have yet learned to “stuff” feelings. They will have absolute trust in their teacher, and will look to her/him for help in every problem that arises. They will freely show love, acceptance, and enthusiasm towards others without reproach or bias. Ah, to have child-like faith…the world would be a much better place if it was one big kindergarten class with Jesus as our loving teacher!
Exodus 34: 29 ” When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.”
Moses had spent time with the Lord and the glory shone on his face, so much that all the Israelites recognized immediately what had happened up on that mountain. After you’ve spent time with the Lord in His Word, can people tell by your face? Isaiah 60:1 states, ” Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” God’s majesty dawns upon you every time you read His Word and spend time in fellowship with Him…your face will radiate His glory and love to others.
I Chronicles 4: 10 ” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.
When your mother’s birth of you is so traumatizing that she names you ‘Pain’… you’ve got one strike against you from the very start! But it says that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers…honorable meaning wealthy and renowned. So what had turned his life around? It was the prayer that he cried out to the Lord…a prayer seeking His blessing, asking that God would multiply his sphere of influence, and beseeching the Lord to protect him. And it says that God bestowed on him what he had asked for. Right now, consider praying this powerful prayer into your own life…regardless of your past, God can bless you today!
Romans 8: 16-17 ” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…”
Growing up we all need validation from those around us that we are loved, needed, wanted, and important…when this is missing, we can feel devalued, outcast, rejected and worthless. These very negative emotions can follow us into adulthood and unfortunately, into our relationships with others. But you are not insignificant in God’s sight, rather you are His child. And not only a loved and valued child of His, but a joint heir with His son Jesus. If invalidation was part of your past growing up, give it to the Lord, and move forward as a treasured co-beneficiary of the Glory beyond.
Luke 6:38 ” Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
God’s premise is simple…give and it will be given to you…the proportion you use to give is the same proportion you will receive back. Give stingily, and you will receive little…give lavishly, and the Lord will bless you beyond measure…for you can not out give God! Blessings upon blessings, almost too difficult to contain, He will pour into your life.
Proverbs 16:7 ” When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him.”
Even though Joseph was thrown into prison after Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him, God granted him favor in the eyes of the Prison Warden, who gave Joseph the position of Administrator over the entire jail. God was well pleased with Joseph, and made even the Palace Guard live at peace with him…which probably drove Potiphar’s wife crazy! She wanted him punished for resisting her advances, and instead, he was granted a very powerful position. If God takes pleasure in us, even our worst enemies will befriend and show us partiality.
John 6: 5-6 ” When Jesus looked up and saw the great crowd coming towards Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.”
As the Disciples traveled with Jesus ,they were witness to countless miracles, so when Jesus asked Philip where they should get food to feed this huge crowd, He was really asking him a much more serious question. He was asking… where is your faith level Philip? On our journeys you’ve seen many miracles…can you now use what you’ve seen and apply it here? Jesus wanted Philip to stop looking at things from his perspective, and start seeing them through God’s limitless one…He wanted Philip to take his eyes off the temporal and catch a vision of the boundless power of God. How would you answer that question?
II Chronicles 7:14 ” If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
This entire passage hinges on one little word, and that word is “then”. If the first part of the scripture is accomplished, it will be followed by the final portion. God is very specific of what He requires of us first…we are to swallow our pride, pray fervently, seek His face, and turn from our evil ways…and then and only then will He act. We’ve got to do our part before He’ll do His…if we are serious about pursuing our task, He will be just as serious about fulfilling His.
Safetypinlove 