A LESSON FROM THE BLIND MAN

“Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”  John 9:2,3

The disciples wanted to figure this out. Who was responsible for this man’s blindness? They had already convinced themselves that someone was at fault; someone had sinned, now they just had to find out WHO. With His reply, Jesus corrected their theology and re-directed their thoughts. Instead of “who?”…He answered a question they DIDN’T ask: “WHY?” The answer was simple: he was born blind so God would get the applause.

Jesus showed up, the blind man’s life was changed, and God got the glory. This blind man was chosen to show Jesus’ power…but before experiencing His transforming power and glory, this man lived through years of blindness, darkness, helplessness, and perhaps even discouragement and despair. But just at the right time, Jesus entered his life and changed everything…the blind man’s life was transformed, and God got the applause!

There were – and are – situations in my life that I don’t understand, don’t like, and didn’t choose. Like the blind man, I have groped in darkness. Looking back, I realize that God allows those events and orchestrates every detail so that He can work in me to transform me, so that in the end He would get the glory.

The last we read about the ex-blind man is that he believed in Christ, “and he worshiped Him.” (John 9:38) The lesson from the blind man is simple: let Jesus do what He wants to do in our lives, no matter how dark the circumstance, then worship Him.

After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?

IT’S A LOT EASIER WITH A PATTERN!

Sewing was an important part of most of my life. When I was in my early teens, my cousin Betty Lou, who lived next door, helped me understand a pattern, cut out a dress and make it. I was delighted to wear my new turquoise dress for Easter that year, and that experience was the beginning of many years of sewing. Because I loved to sew, Mom paid $100 towards a $169 Singer portable sewing machine that I took to Argentina as a new bride. It didn’t take long to discover something…there were no patterns available in Argentina at that time! No Simplicity! How could I sew without a pattern? With some ingenuity and a lot of creativity, I figured out how to make my own patterns on brown paper, and made a lot our kid’s clothes during their growing-up years, and many of my own as well. There’s one thing I learned by making all those home-made patterns: it sure is a LOT easier to sew WITH a pattern than WITHOUT one!

Reading in Philippians a few days ago, the apostle Paul’s words reminded me of that discovery. He wrote: “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” Being a tent-maker, Paul may have appreciated the value of a pattern. In this passage he places himself and those who follow his example as our pattern! You might ask, as I did… “a pattern of what?”

Reading through all of Philippians to see what pattern he set, we find that Paul’s pattern was simply having an eternal perspective. In prayer and intercession; in the love he had for his fellow believers; the encouragement, instruction and mentoring he did; his willingness to sacrifice himself for the cause of Christ; his boldness in sharing the gospel; his attitude towards his past and vision for the future …everything he did, lived and taught was done with an eternal perspective. THAT’S the pattern he set, and here’s what I’m discovering: it’s a lot easier to follow Paul’s pattern of having an eternal perspective, than it is to try to wing-it through life without it!

LEARNING FROM A PAGAN PRIEST

Everyone can teach us something. Everyone…even a pagan priest!

When Jethro, a pagan priest who was Moses’ father-in-law, “heard of all that God had done”, he ventured out to the wilderness to meet Moses and hear about it first-hand. There, we read that Moses “told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done…and said ‘Blessed be the Lord…now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods…” (Exodus 18:1-11)

Let’s break down “all the good which the Lord had done” for his people up until that time and compare it to all the good which the Lord has done and is doing in our lives as Christ followers:

God sent the plagues and delivered His people from Egypt. (Exodus 3-13)
God “delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13)

God protected them as they crossed the Red Sea, and destroyed their enemy. (Exodus 14)
God protects us and destroyed the enemy!  Jesus came “that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1^st John 3:8)

God made their bitter waters sweet. (Exodus 15:22-27)
God took our bitter lives and made us new in Christ. “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2^nd Corinthians 5;17)

God sent them bread from heaven. (Exodus 16)
God gave us Jesus, “the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:32,33)

God provided water from the rock. (Exodus 17:1-7)
God gives us living water. Jesus said: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13,14)

God gave them victory over the Amalakites. (Exodus 17:8-16)
God gives us His victory! “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

When Jethro heard about “all the good which the Lord had done, he burst out into praise, convinced of the one tru God’s greatness. And THAT is the lesson the pagan priest teaches us by example. We, who have experienced all of God’s goodness, should do nothing less than Jethro! Let’s learn from his example, letting the awe of who God is motivate us to spontaneous praise to our Lord who Jethro discovered is “greater than all the gods”!

BENEFITS

A very dear friend of mine who is a retiree of a major airline mentioned to me not long ago that the company is reducing some of their retiree benefits. Together we lamented that she won’t be allowed “companion passes” anymore for travel, and even her own travel passes will be restructured to favor the company more and the retiree less. (BTW: She and her husband are traveling as much as they can before those benefits are cut!)

Talking about benefits reminded me of Psalm 103, where the Psalmist David wrote: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (verses 1 and 2)

A list of some of those benefits follows: complete forgiveness; healing; redemption; a life crowned with God’s lovingkindness and tender mercy; satisfaction and renewal. The rest of the Psalm elaborates on even more of God’s benefits. As I thought about my friend’s reduced benefits, I saw a stark contrast between her plight and God’s benefits towards us. Hers will be reduced; God’s benefits will increase and continue on throughout future generations! Look what David expressed in verses 17 and 18:

“But the mercy of the Lord (BENEFIT!) is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children (BENEFIT!) to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.”

Isn’t it reassuring to know that His mercy is a benefit that will never be reduced? Isn’t it encouraging to remember that his righteousness is a benefit that will cover even our children and their children…and their children…and their children….? Understanding how God multiplies His benefits causes me to bless the Lord along with the Psalmist and praise Him – the Faithful Giver of abundant, everlasting, generation-to-generation benefits!

SEEING GOD MORE CLEARLY – Insight from a Nonagenarian

Mom reading at 94 yrs. of age

My husband Jorge and I returned to Northeastern Ohio to live after 27 years in Argentina and 1 year in Puerto Rico, partly to live with my parents and help them out; they were nonagenarians at the time. (Nonagenarian: somebody 90-99 years old) By that time, Mom’s mind was not clear; she was 94. She had dementia and very often confused people, dates, and places. She didn’t know who we were most of the time; even so, she enjoyed reading. Mom was an avid reader since her childhood, and to the end of her life here on earth, she would often sit at the kitchen table with a magnifying glass, reading her Bible or a favorite book. Sometimes I would read to her. On one of those occasions, she suddenly had a few moments of clarity and remarked: “I think sometimes God takes things away from us in order to have us see Him more clearly.”

Mom was right; loss isn’t always a bad thing. At the time she made that statement, she had lost her independence; she lost her ability to even dress herself; she lost many of her family members who passed on to eternity; she no longer enjoyed her mobility. Macular degeneration took its toll on her vision, and if she didn’t have her hearing aids in she couldn’t understand us even if we shouted. Her coherent mind was a thing of the past. She had a lot taken from her… but she was OK with that, because she saw God clearer!

Job agreed. After all the loss he suffered, coupled with tremendous physical pain and accusing friends, he was in the restoration process when he declared to God: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” (Job 42:5) Sometimes when God takes something away from us, it paves the way for a clearer vision of Him, His work in and around us, as well as His love for us.

Don’t think loss is always bad. When God takes something away from you, be on the lookout! It might well be that He wants you to see Him more clearly. And that is good!

FROM THE LOWEST PIT

The prophet Jeremiah served God’s people for over forty years, but his warnings were not taken seriously. He was put into prison, cast into a well, and exiled against his will. Rejected by everyone around him, Jeremiah stood alone and obeyed God faithfully. In chapter 3 of the book of Lamentations, attributed to Jeremiah, we read some of his most comforting words of testimony that encourage Christ followers  even today, after so many centuries. One in particular stands out:

“I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: ‘Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help.’ You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, ‘Do not fear!’ “ (Lamentations 3:55-57)

Many of us have not experienced the trials and pain that Jeremiah had; probably nothing even close to them! But when we are in our “lowest pit” (whatever that might be), these words give us comfort and assurance! Remember this:

GOD KNOWS all about that LOWEST PIT!
GOD HEARS ME when I call on His name from the LOWEST PIT!
GOD DRAWS NEAR ME when I call on Him, even from the LOWEST PIT!
GOD SAYS “DO NOT FEAR!”  when I’m in that LOWEST PIT!

Let’s praise God for these comforting words – even if we are in the LOWEST PIT!

SEEK, SET, RENEW AND LET!

If the apostle Paul would be here in person to give us advice regarding New Year’s resolutions, maybe he would sum it up in 4 words: SEEK, SET, RENEW, LET…because he knew that what we put into our minds is very powerful! He understood that we can’t change our behavior without letting the Holy Spirit change our thoughts.

Everything we do – or don’t do – starts in our mind. We get a thought and mull it over until it shapes our behavior. So what should we focus on? Let’s see what Paul says:

SEEK: “Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1)

SET: “Set your mind on things above, not on the things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

RENEW: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

LET: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)

Hmmm…I think there is a pattern here. Paul is pointing out the importance of focusing on eternity, because that is what really matters. When eternity is our focus, our behavior will change.

Unfortunately as the years go by and I look back, I’m ashamed to see how many things disturbed my mind that didn’t really matter; how many times I got caught up in trivialities and how often worry invaded my peace…because I didn’t follow the apostle Paul’s advice. I wasn’t seeking those things that are above, and I didn’t set my mind on them. I didn’t renew my mind, and I didn’t let Christ’s mind be in me.

I don’t know if you made any New Year’s resolutions, but I did…to SEEK, SET, RENEW and LET!