I was getting ready for work. It was the normal morning routine that so many of us go through every day. I was brushing my teeth when suddenly out of nowhere I remembered teaching my children to brush their teeth. Our kids are grown now. I haven't had little ones around for a long time, so why I thought of this I will never know. Yet I remembered each little face so clearly.
Most parents love their children very much and go to great lengths to take care of them. Part of parenting is teaching them such basics as how to dress themselves and brush their teeth. We want our children to learn to live healthy happy lives. That takes time and effort. Our kids are worth it though, right?
Life goes on and children grow up. Time has a way of doing that. With the boys on my mind, my thoughts raced through the years of their childhood. Pictures of them at different ages rolled through my memory as if on parade. Most of the time, it is such a joy to be a parent!
Once in a while, I miss those times when my children were younger - the times when I could hold them in my lap and sing songs to them or read books to them. I remember the times when all they ever wanted was to be with you; when they shared every part of their lives with you. I began to think of all the things we shared when they were little -- every accomplishment, every heartache, every fear and every joke. Still in front of the mirror, I was missing the times when I was pretty much the center of their lives.
Then my thoughts turned to those somewhat rebellious teen years. I remembered the challenges and how each child went through their own growing pains. Those were the days when we weren't so close. I suppose all that reminiscing made me want to talk to my sons. All of a sudden I had a strong desire to tell them how much I loved them and how proud I was of them.
Just as quickly as all these thoughts and feelings ran through my mind, a new idea entered my brain. I thought of God - my Heavenly Father. I began to realize He probably knew how I was feeling. Actually, I voiced the question in my mind. "Is this how I make You feel God? Do You miss the times when You were the center of my life? Does it sadden You during the times when I am rebellious -- when I am not so close to You?" Yes, my thoughts - my conversation with Him was very personal that morning.
I answered my own questions. I know the Word tells me God loves me. I have read how the Lord longs to be with and bless His people. Over and over again throughout the Old Testament, God tells the Israelites that if they will but follow Him - obey Him --love Him -- He will be among them. He promises to bless and prosper them. God protects them and cares for His own.
The Father has not changed. He still takes great joy in fellowship with those who love Him and seek to please Him. God loves to listen to all our fears and heartaches. He loves to hear about our accomplishment. I believe He loves to see us happy and have fun too. God is our perfect parent. He desires to be there for us. Just as I had the desire to talk with my sons that morning, God wants talk with us every morning.
Our children may outgrow their need to be with us all the time; but we never outgrow the need for God in our lives. He longs for us to share our life with Him. I'm always blessed so much more when I choose to remember Him, when I pray and talk with Him. I am always encouraged when I study from the scriptures and learn more about Him. God blesses me when I walk with Him. I know this, but I don't always remember it.
We live in a dark and crazy world. It seems we are always racing to and fro. We have to take care of this and then go somewhere else to take care of that. We don't always remember what we know is good for us. God is good for us. Putting God first in our lives is good for us. Ah, how happy we make the Father when we do remember this!
Make God the center of your life. He will shower His blessings down on you!
Christ above all things,
Robin
Friday, March 28, 2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Can Jesus Entrust Himself to You?
Studying the scriptures is a wonderful way to learn more and more about our Father and His Son, our Savior. As I dig deeper into the Word, I find myself wishing I had realized the value of Bible study when I was younger. But it does no good to dwell on missed opportunities. I should be (and I am) thankful that I have the time and wherewithal to study and learn now.
I just started reading and studying through the gospel of John. The last three verses of John Chapter 2 caught my attention and the passage has been on my mind ever since then. It posed a question to my own heart and prompted prayer and self-examination as I tried to answer that question. I think it is worthy of consideration for all of us.
John 2:23-25 states: "Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He was doing. But Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people, and needed no one to bear witness about man, for He himself knew what was in man." (ESV)
Here Jesus has just begun His ministry. He has begun to gather disciples to Him. Earlier in this chapter John records that Andrew brought his brother Peter to see the Christ and Phillip brings his friend Nathanael to Him also. Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water into wine. John 2:11 says Jesus "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth His glory, and His disciples believed on Him."
Then Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover and cleansed the temple when He found the money changers there. When the Jews questioned Him about this, He told them if they destroy "this temple," He will raise it up again in three days. Jesus is speaking of His death and resurrection; but the Jews scoffed at Him because they thought He referred to the temple there in Jerusalem.
So there we have it - the beginning of His ministry. His first disciples, His first miracle and His confrontation with the Jewish leaders who opposed Him from the very beginning. The more I study about the life of Jesus, the more I realize how difficult it must have been -- what a sacrifice it all must have been for Him. He tried so hard to teach His disciples about Himself and the Father. He had people following Him only for what He could do for them and then He had the Jewish leaders always dogging Him about something.
In John 2:23, already quoted above, we see that "many believed in His name because of the signs (miracles) that He was doing. But He didn't entrust Himself to them. The phrasing here seems to say that though they believed in Him, they were not yet ready to understand who He really was. They believed in Him because of the signs. But did they really?
In Matthew 16 and Luke 11, it is recorded that the people wanted a sign from Jesus. They were testing Him. It was like they were saying --"OK, if you are who you say you are, then prove it." Yet, He had already shown them so many signs. Jesus goes on to tell them there will be no sign given, except the sign of Jonah.
So go back to John 2 - even though some of the people had begun to believe on Him, they did not understand who He truly was. Although some did come to realize that Jesus was the Christ, many of them never got it. Jesus knew it was not the time yet to trust anyone with this information. He knows the hearts of all men. He knows what man is like. He has always known. As the Son of God, Jesus didn't need anyone to tell Him this.
Jesus still knows the hearts of all men (mankind). He knows right now what we think about Him and how we feel. If He were here with us today, could Jesus entrust Himself to us? Would we introduce Him to everyone we met as the Son of God? Could He count on us to stand for Him -- to protect and honor Him if need be? Could He trust us to love and care for Him -- feed Him and shelter Him if need be?
Mmmmm ... Jesus is here now. He IS with us everyday -- or at least He wants to be. The questions in the paragraph above are the ones I have been asking myself over the past few days. Can Jesus trust me? Do I take Him with me everywhere I go? Sometimes, I fail miserably. I don't always take the opportunities given to me to serve Him. I don't always honor His name. Oh, Jesus knows my heart. He knows when I succeed in serving Him and He knows when I don't.
You know all that loving and caring and feeding and sheltering I mentioned? Well we show that in our dealings with others. When we take a meal, or visit the hospital, make a phone call to check on someone - we are feeding, visiting and checking on our Lord and Savior. The great judgment scene in Matthew 25 clearly tells us this. Christ said, "as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me."
Can Jesus trust Himself to me? Well, that's something I need to work on a little more. How about you?
Christ above all things,
Robin
I just started reading and studying through the gospel of John. The last three verses of John Chapter 2 caught my attention and the passage has been on my mind ever since then. It posed a question to my own heart and prompted prayer and self-examination as I tried to answer that question. I think it is worthy of consideration for all of us.
John 2:23-25 states: "Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He was doing. But Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people, and needed no one to bear witness about man, for He himself knew what was in man." (ESV)
Here Jesus has just begun His ministry. He has begun to gather disciples to Him. Earlier in this chapter John records that Andrew brought his brother Peter to see the Christ and Phillip brings his friend Nathanael to Him also. Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water into wine. John 2:11 says Jesus "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth His glory, and His disciples believed on Him."
Then Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover and cleansed the temple when He found the money changers there. When the Jews questioned Him about this, He told them if they destroy "this temple," He will raise it up again in three days. Jesus is speaking of His death and resurrection; but the Jews scoffed at Him because they thought He referred to the temple there in Jerusalem.
So there we have it - the beginning of His ministry. His first disciples, His first miracle and His confrontation with the Jewish leaders who opposed Him from the very beginning. The more I study about the life of Jesus, the more I realize how difficult it must have been -- what a sacrifice it all must have been for Him. He tried so hard to teach His disciples about Himself and the Father. He had people following Him only for what He could do for them and then He had the Jewish leaders always dogging Him about something.
In John 2:23, already quoted above, we see that "many believed in His name because of the signs (miracles) that He was doing. But He didn't entrust Himself to them. The phrasing here seems to say that though they believed in Him, they were not yet ready to understand who He really was. They believed in Him because of the signs. But did they really?
In Matthew 16 and Luke 11, it is recorded that the people wanted a sign from Jesus. They were testing Him. It was like they were saying --"OK, if you are who you say you are, then prove it." Yet, He had already shown them so many signs. Jesus goes on to tell them there will be no sign given, except the sign of Jonah.
So go back to John 2 - even though some of the people had begun to believe on Him, they did not understand who He truly was. Although some did come to realize that Jesus was the Christ, many of them never got it. Jesus knew it was not the time yet to trust anyone with this information. He knows the hearts of all men. He knows what man is like. He has always known. As the Son of God, Jesus didn't need anyone to tell Him this.
Jesus still knows the hearts of all men (mankind). He knows right now what we think about Him and how we feel. If He were here with us today, could Jesus entrust Himself to us? Would we introduce Him to everyone we met as the Son of God? Could He count on us to stand for Him -- to protect and honor Him if need be? Could He trust us to love and care for Him -- feed Him and shelter Him if need be?
Mmmmm ... Jesus is here now. He IS with us everyday -- or at least He wants to be. The questions in the paragraph above are the ones I have been asking myself over the past few days. Can Jesus trust me? Do I take Him with me everywhere I go? Sometimes, I fail miserably. I don't always take the opportunities given to me to serve Him. I don't always honor His name. Oh, Jesus knows my heart. He knows when I succeed in serving Him and He knows when I don't.
You know all that loving and caring and feeding and sheltering I mentioned? Well we show that in our dealings with others. When we take a meal, or visit the hospital, make a phone call to check on someone - we are feeding, visiting and checking on our Lord and Savior. The great judgment scene in Matthew 25 clearly tells us this. Christ said, "as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me."
Can Jesus trust Himself to me? Well, that's something I need to work on a little more. How about you?
Christ above all things,
Robin
Saturday, March 8, 2014
One Monday morning a couple of weeks ago, it was pretty cold in our neck of the woods. There was some ice on the roads. Our cars were iced over and so were the steps on our front porch. When he tried to leave for work, my husband's car wouldn't start. He had to call in and was late for work, but finally somehow got his vehicle to start. What was a big hassle for him turned out to be a blessing for me.
We usually don't see very much of each other that early in the morning; but I got to spend a few minutes with my husband before he left that day. This is not the normal routine for us. Truthfully, I am usually still asleep when he leaves. His work day starts an hour before mine does.
It was fun to spend some extra time with him, but that wasn't the end of it. As I was getting ready myself, he started my car for me so it would be warming up. I loved that. A few minutes later, we both walked out together. He helped me down our icy, slippery steps. I must admit, it was really nice having him there Monday morning. I felt blessed, even though we were out some unexpected funds because he had to buy a new battery for his vehicle.
As I drove to work, the roads really were icy especially on the bridges. I passed two wrecks where cars had skidded off the road. And another incident nearly happened right in front of me. But the driver of careening car responded quickly and was able to gain control with no harm done. I was truly thankful.
Safely at work, I checked my cell phone. I had a text message from my oldest son telling me to be careful on the way to work. He sent it earlier in the morning; but I hadn't checked it then. It made me feel pretty special to know he had thought of me that morning.
Actually I'm truly blessed to have three very caring sons. At different times in the past few weeks, I've had at least one text from each of them. They all turned out to be very dear to my heart. A few days after February 14th, my middle son sent a text saying he was sorry he forgot me on Valentine's Day. He boosted my spirits by sending his love and wishes for a good day.
The text from my youngest son came on a night when I was still at work. There was a tornado watch for our area and thunderstorms were raging all around us. It was particularly bad at home. My son was concerned about me driving in the bad weather. His text cautioned me to "call Dad" before I left work to make sure it was OK to come home because "it's pretty bad here right now." What a joy it is to have three such considerate sons and a husband who is also kind and helpful.
We all know these moments don't happen every day. They are the special, one of a kind moments that touch your heart and live in your memory banks forever. These are our treasures and we cherish them. Usually though, life is a little more -- well a little more ordinary. That's OK, though. We know these blessings come from God, our Father and even the ordinary days are worth living because of the love He has for us.
We usually don't see very much of each other that early in the morning; but I got to spend a few minutes with my husband before he left that day. This is not the normal routine for us. Truthfully, I am usually still asleep when he leaves. His work day starts an hour before mine does.
It was fun to spend some extra time with him, but that wasn't the end of it. As I was getting ready myself, he started my car for me so it would be warming up. I loved that. A few minutes later, we both walked out together. He helped me down our icy, slippery steps. I must admit, it was really nice having him there Monday morning. I felt blessed, even though we were out some unexpected funds because he had to buy a new battery for his vehicle.
As I drove to work, the roads really were icy especially on the bridges. I passed two wrecks where cars had skidded off the road. And another incident nearly happened right in front of me. But the driver of careening car responded quickly and was able to gain control with no harm done. I was truly thankful.
Safely at work, I checked my cell phone. I had a text message from my oldest son telling me to be careful on the way to work. He sent it earlier in the morning; but I hadn't checked it then. It made me feel pretty special to know he had thought of me that morning.
Actually I'm truly blessed to have three very caring sons. At different times in the past few weeks, I've had at least one text from each of them. They all turned out to be very dear to my heart. A few days after February 14th, my middle son sent a text saying he was sorry he forgot me on Valentine's Day. He boosted my spirits by sending his love and wishes for a good day.
The text from my youngest son came on a night when I was still at work. There was a tornado watch for our area and thunderstorms were raging all around us. It was particularly bad at home. My son was concerned about me driving in the bad weather. His text cautioned me to "call Dad" before I left work to make sure it was OK to come home because "it's pretty bad here right now." What a joy it is to have three such considerate sons and a husband who is also kind and helpful.
We all know these moments don't happen every day. They are the special, one of a kind moments that touch your heart and live in your memory banks forever. These are our treasures and we cherish them. Usually though, life is a little more -- well a little more ordinary. That's OK, though. We know these blessings come from God, our Father and even the ordinary days are worth living because of the love He has for us.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Jesus Took the Time
I love reading and studying the Bible. Sometimes when I read certain passages - something that I've read over and over again suddenly it's like reading it for the very first time. This has happened a couple of times lately as I've been reading through the book of Luke. That is why the Bible is so wonderful to me. I learn something new almost every time I study.
Luke records the healing of a blind man in Chapter 18. Now like you, I've heard this story a few times over the years. Usually, when I hear it I think of the power Jesus had to heal those who afflicted and of the compassion he had for others. Sometimes, I think of the power He had to forgive sin and how the Pharisees just couldn't stand that.
This time though, as I read through chapters 17 and 18 other things got my attention. First of all we read in 17:11 that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. As we continue to read, we understand that this trip was the last one He would take before His death.
Yet think of the things He did on His way there. He heals the ten lepers and only one is thankful. (Luke 17:12-19) How sad that must have made Him. Do you think the cross entered His mind at that point? Only one leper turned back to thank Jesus for curing him of this terrible disease. Perhaps this reminded Jesus of how few would follow Him -- how few would take advantage of His ultimate sacrifice.
And yes, the Pharisees are right there. They asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. He told them the kingdom would not come in ways that could be observed. Jesus said it would not be something they could look at and say - "There it is." He went on to tell them the kingdom of God was in the midst of them or within them. Even now, the people are thinking of the kingdom of God as something material, physical - earthly. They didn't understand God's kingdom was a spiritual one.
Jesus goes on to tell the disciples He will suffer many things and be rejected of His generation. (17:25) Then in verses 26 through the end of the chapter in verse 37, Jesus describes what it will be like on judgment day.
Chapter 18 is full of substance as Christ tells the parable of the widow seeking justice from a judge who did not fear God or respect man. This parable is given to teach the importance of prayer. Then Christ told the parable of the publican and the Pharisee - a wonderful lesson the importance of humility that still rings true today.
Jesus allows the little children to come to Him. Perhaps they gave Him some comfort in the face of His impending crucifixion. Then the rich young ruler comes to Jesus. And Christ asked him to give up what was most precious to him. The young ruler went away sorrowful.
Jesus tells His disciples that it is hard for a rich man to enter heaven. It is hard for them to comprehend this; but then Christ says with God all things are possible. Again, so many to be learned from these scriptures. Peter reminds the Lord that they have left all to follow Him. In Luke 18:28-30 Christ assures Peter that he and all those who live for Him will be rewarded.
Then in verses 31 through 34, he pulls the 12 apostles aside to tell them again about His crucifixion and His resurrection. Verse 34 explains the apostles didn't understand what Christ was telling them. They couldn't grasp it.
Here is where we finally get to the blind man at the side of the road. Mark tells us his name is Bartimaeus. He (the blind man) hears a commotion going on and asked the crowd what is happening. They told him Jesus was passing by. Now the blind man had obviously heard of Jesus, because he immediately begins to cry out begging for mercy. The crowd tries to hush him up.
I have always wondered why the crowd wanted the blind man to be quiet. Perhaps it was the same reason that the disciples didn't want the people to bring the little children to Jesus. Perhaps they thought Jesus was too important to be bothered by some poor blind man. This group is on the way to Jerusalem after all. In some ways it seems that they are on a victory march. They may have felt like because very soon we read of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Another thought is that perhaps the Pharisees in the crowd didn't like the blind man or men (as Matthew records there were actually two blind men present) calling Jesus the Son of David. This phrase indicated that Bartimaeus' believed Jesus to be the Messiah. He has heard of Jesus and the great things He has. Bartimaeus is convinced that the Son of God is passing by. And he refuses to be quiet. He has to get the Lord's attention. This is his chance to be healed. Can you imagine his desperation as he continues to cry out for Jesus thinking that perhaps he will not be heard? The scriptures say that when they tried to hush him, he cried out all the more begging for mercy from the Son of David. The blind man knew who Jesus was and what He could do.
Persistence pays off because Jesus hear his pleas. Jesus stops and asks that the man be brought to Him. He asks Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" We all know the rest of the story. The blind man receives his sight and all the people glorify God.
This is indeed a beautiful story. And yes, I took a long time getting to it; but I felt it was important to go through part of this because understanding the background information is what helped me see the story from a different perspective this time.
Here Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem to "suffer many things" and "be rejected of men." He tries to tell his special friends, the apostles what He is facing, but they don't understand Him. He has healed 10 lepers, had the children brought to Him, the rich young ruler has rejected Him and all along the way He is still trying to teach of forgiveness, of the kingdom of God, of faith as a grain of mustard seed, and of rewarding the faithful.
He knows these are among the last few days of His life. I can't begin to imagine all the different things the Lord has on His mind right now. The crowds are all around Him and seemingly no quiet time to deal with His thoughts. Yet, He
has still not ceased to teach and reach as many people as He can.
Then he passes by Bartimaeus and hears him cry out. The crowed is probably heavy all around Him; but He hears this poor blind man. And He stops -- He stops. He takes the time to stop for someone who needs Him; someone who is begging for His help. Jesus heard his cry for mercy. He took the time to see and speak to and heal this man. Not only does Bartimaeus receive his sight; but Jesus also forgives him for his sins.
See with Jesus - no one is outside of His hearing. No one is overlooked or left out -- not me - not you and not the poor blind man on the side of the road that day. He was worthy of Christ's attention. So are we.
Jesus will take the time to hear your cries. He will make your life whole and heal your sin-sick soul; but only if you call for Him. Will you take the time to obey Jesus and live for Him?
Christ above all things,
Robin
Luke records the healing of a blind man in Chapter 18. Now like you, I've heard this story a few times over the years. Usually, when I hear it I think of the power Jesus had to heal those who afflicted and of the compassion he had for others. Sometimes, I think of the power He had to forgive sin and how the Pharisees just couldn't stand that.
This time though, as I read through chapters 17 and 18 other things got my attention. First of all we read in 17:11 that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. As we continue to read, we understand that this trip was the last one He would take before His death.
Yet think of the things He did on His way there. He heals the ten lepers and only one is thankful. (Luke 17:12-19) How sad that must have made Him. Do you think the cross entered His mind at that point? Only one leper turned back to thank Jesus for curing him of this terrible disease. Perhaps this reminded Jesus of how few would follow Him -- how few would take advantage of His ultimate sacrifice.
And yes, the Pharisees are right there. They asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. He told them the kingdom would not come in ways that could be observed. Jesus said it would not be something they could look at and say - "There it is." He went on to tell them the kingdom of God was in the midst of them or within them. Even now, the people are thinking of the kingdom of God as something material, physical - earthly. They didn't understand God's kingdom was a spiritual one.
Jesus goes on to tell the disciples He will suffer many things and be rejected of His generation. (17:25) Then in verses 26 through the end of the chapter in verse 37, Jesus describes what it will be like on judgment day.
Chapter 18 is full of substance as Christ tells the parable of the widow seeking justice from a judge who did not fear God or respect man. This parable is given to teach the importance of prayer. Then Christ told the parable of the publican and the Pharisee - a wonderful lesson the importance of humility that still rings true today.
Jesus allows the little children to come to Him. Perhaps they gave Him some comfort in the face of His impending crucifixion. Then the rich young ruler comes to Jesus. And Christ asked him to give up what was most precious to him. The young ruler went away sorrowful.
Jesus tells His disciples that it is hard for a rich man to enter heaven. It is hard for them to comprehend this; but then Christ says with God all things are possible. Again, so many to be learned from these scriptures. Peter reminds the Lord that they have left all to follow Him. In Luke 18:28-30 Christ assures Peter that he and all those who live for Him will be rewarded.
Then in verses 31 through 34, he pulls the 12 apostles aside to tell them again about His crucifixion and His resurrection. Verse 34 explains the apostles didn't understand what Christ was telling them. They couldn't grasp it.
Here is where we finally get to the blind man at the side of the road. Mark tells us his name is Bartimaeus. He (the blind man) hears a commotion going on and asked the crowd what is happening. They told him Jesus was passing by. Now the blind man had obviously heard of Jesus, because he immediately begins to cry out begging for mercy. The crowd tries to hush him up.
I have always wondered why the crowd wanted the blind man to be quiet. Perhaps it was the same reason that the disciples didn't want the people to bring the little children to Jesus. Perhaps they thought Jesus was too important to be bothered by some poor blind man. This group is on the way to Jerusalem after all. In some ways it seems that they are on a victory march. They may have felt like because very soon we read of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Another thought is that perhaps the Pharisees in the crowd didn't like the blind man or men (as Matthew records there were actually two blind men present) calling Jesus the Son of David. This phrase indicated that Bartimaeus' believed Jesus to be the Messiah. He has heard of Jesus and the great things He has. Bartimaeus is convinced that the Son of God is passing by. And he refuses to be quiet. He has to get the Lord's attention. This is his chance to be healed. Can you imagine his desperation as he continues to cry out for Jesus thinking that perhaps he will not be heard? The scriptures say that when they tried to hush him, he cried out all the more begging for mercy from the Son of David. The blind man knew who Jesus was and what He could do.
Persistence pays off because Jesus hear his pleas. Jesus stops and asks that the man be brought to Him. He asks Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" We all know the rest of the story. The blind man receives his sight and all the people glorify God.
This is indeed a beautiful story. And yes, I took a long time getting to it; but I felt it was important to go through part of this because understanding the background information is what helped me see the story from a different perspective this time.
Here Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem to "suffer many things" and "be rejected of men." He tries to tell his special friends, the apostles what He is facing, but they don't understand Him. He has healed 10 lepers, had the children brought to Him, the rich young ruler has rejected Him and all along the way He is still trying to teach of forgiveness, of the kingdom of God, of faith as a grain of mustard seed, and of rewarding the faithful.
He knows these are among the last few days of His life. I can't begin to imagine all the different things the Lord has on His mind right now. The crowds are all around Him and seemingly no quiet time to deal with His thoughts. Yet, He
has still not ceased to teach and reach as many people as He can.
Then he passes by Bartimaeus and hears him cry out. The crowed is probably heavy all around Him; but He hears this poor blind man. And He stops -- He stops. He takes the time to stop for someone who needs Him; someone who is begging for His help. Jesus heard his cry for mercy. He took the time to see and speak to and heal this man. Not only does Bartimaeus receive his sight; but Jesus also forgives him for his sins.
See with Jesus - no one is outside of His hearing. No one is overlooked or left out -- not me - not you and not the poor blind man on the side of the road that day. He was worthy of Christ's attention. So are we.
Jesus will take the time to hear your cries. He will make your life whole and heal your sin-sick soul; but only if you call for Him. Will you take the time to obey Jesus and live for Him?
Christ above all things,
Robin
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