be careful what you wish for....
Do you remember the story of the blind man that called out 'Son of David, have mercy on me!" And after getting Jesus' attention, Jesus stops and asks him 'What do you want me to do for you?" (Luke 18:35-43)
I always used to think this was the dumbest question! Why on earth would Jesus ask this question? Shouldn't it be obvious? The man's BLIND!
But I'm learning something strange. I'm learning that the answer to this question is NOT obvious.
I am surprised at the responses people give. The blind man gave the response I would expect. "Lord, I want to see!" That makes sense to me. But, more often than not, when people ask for prayer, they do not ask 'to see'. They ask for patience in this trial, they ask for courage, they ask for 'grace to get through this difficult time', they ask for comfort in their pain, they ask for the doctors to have wisdom, they ask for the nurses to be compasssionate, they ask for the medicine to 'do it's job', they ask for new breakthroughs in treatment, they ask that they may be a good example to those looking on, they ask for a deeper walk with Christ. Very often, they do not ask for healing at all!
These are not the things the blind man asked for.
Jesus' response? "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God.
This man did not need patience in this trial, he did not need courage, he did not (any longer) have a 'difficult time', he did not have pain, he needed no doctor, no nurses, no medicine, no medical breakthroughs. My guess is he was a GREAT example to those who looked on! And he most definately had a deeper walk with Christ! When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
There's a line in a song, goes like this. "be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it all!" If Jesus said to us, as he did to the centurion in Matt.8:13, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would".... what would that mean? what did I believe? what did I ask for? If I get what I ask for, will I get what I really want? Is what I ask for, different than what I want? What DO we want HIM to do for us? Why are we so scared to ask?
And, PS.
Why, immediately after praying, do we say things like, "well, in two weeks we have an appointment, and then we'll know what we're up against.... (followed by a long, deep sigh, and a sad smile of hopelessness) What does this person BELIEVE God WILL do?
I always used to think this was the dumbest question! Why on earth would Jesus ask this question? Shouldn't it be obvious? The man's BLIND!
But I'm learning something strange. I'm learning that the answer to this question is NOT obvious.
I am surprised at the responses people give. The blind man gave the response I would expect. "Lord, I want to see!" That makes sense to me. But, more often than not, when people ask for prayer, they do not ask 'to see'. They ask for patience in this trial, they ask for courage, they ask for 'grace to get through this difficult time', they ask for comfort in their pain, they ask for the doctors to have wisdom, they ask for the nurses to be compasssionate, they ask for the medicine to 'do it's job', they ask for new breakthroughs in treatment, they ask that they may be a good example to those looking on, they ask for a deeper walk with Christ. Very often, they do not ask for healing at all!
These are not the things the blind man asked for.
Jesus' response? "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God.
This man did not need patience in this trial, he did not need courage, he did not (any longer) have a 'difficult time', he did not have pain, he needed no doctor, no nurses, no medicine, no medical breakthroughs. My guess is he was a GREAT example to those who looked on! And he most definately had a deeper walk with Christ! When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
There's a line in a song, goes like this. "be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it all!" If Jesus said to us, as he did to the centurion in Matt.8:13, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would".... what would that mean? what did I believe? what did I ask for? If I get what I ask for, will I get what I really want? Is what I ask for, different than what I want? What DO we want HIM to do for us? Why are we so scared to ask?
And, PS.
Why, immediately after praying, do we say things like, "well, in two weeks we have an appointment, and then we'll know what we're up against.... (followed by a long, deep sigh, and a sad smile of hopelessness) What does this person BELIEVE God WILL do?
posted by toomanywhatifs at
10:23 PM
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