Friday, January 7, 2011

~ "On your mark, get set..."


And Jesus answered and said to him, What will you that I should do to you? The blind man said to him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. (Mark 10:51)

Here we have a man wandering around in the dark. He had never seen the colors of the rainbow, never gazed upon the face of those who cared for him, never saw a sunset. He had heard of this man, Jesus, and believed that he could be healed. He had faith!

There was a time when we all "wandered around in the dark". Our lives were shaped by the job we had, the friends we made and our individual choices. One day, all of that changed! Accepting Christ as my Savior was the single most significant decision I have ever or will ever make. The faith that allows us to continue to serve a loving God, believing in his promises to us, is often the only "good" thing we have going for us. We can weather any storm through the power of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus asked Bartimaeus what it was that he wanted from him, he asked that he "might" receive his sight. In other words, if the Lord saw fit to grant his petition, he would be grateful. He didn't demand it, as if it were "owed" to him. So often we feel we are "owed" something from God. He owes us nothing. He gives us everything. With every prayer we bring before our merciful Father, we should bring it with the attitude of "if it is YOUR will".

Allow your faith to grow. The longer you walk with him, the easier the journey becomes. Sometimes you don't even realize how "far" you've come until you look back to where you started from. That is the part of his plan for you that you have already experienced. He has so much more for you if you continue on! Don't lose sight of the finish line ~ he's waiting to greet you when you reach it!

[Suggested Scripture for January 7, 2011 - Job 4-7]

(photo by Nancy Johnson Coffman)