Thursday, February 17, 2022
Then again, He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored and began to see everything clearly. Mark 8:25
Jesus Is All We Need
This week we have been focusing on the healing of the blind man in Bethsaida. He had some hope for healing when friends took him to Jesus. And Jesus did heal him in a special way by taking his hand, walking with him and spending a little time with him.
The truth is that not everything becomes clear when you meet Christ. We need Jesus’ touch again and again. The good thing is that Jesus gives us everything we need – every time we need it. There is no limit to what He will provide for us. We are all different and have different needs, and yes – He can provide all the different things all His children need at the same time. He meets each of us personally, where we are, and deals with us as individuals.
Just like the man in the story, He doesn’t always heal us or give us what we need instantly. He wants us to exercise our faith. Gradually as our faith grows, we begin to understand more spiritually, and we grow even more. This is the purpose of the journey! Not every wound from your past is healed immediately. You don’t suddenly understand everything in the Bible that you may have struggled to understand before. Not all your family issues, personal addictions, and financial problems disappear. Life does not automatically get easier, but your perception of life and how you handle it should change. You have the power of the Holy Spirit to lean on and a promised hope of eternal life.
Because life is still life, we need more than one touch from Jesus too. We need Him when we stumble and when we struggle. We need Him when we doubt and when we fail. We desperately need Him when we feel unworthy and are overcome by fear, anxiety, and we need Him when we slip into sin. Living in the grace of God will take us so much further in our lives than living in fear of feeling unworthy. We will be more effective for the Kingdom by living in joy, gentleness – and grace.
When Jesus gives us a second touch, it is like going back to church when you haven’t been in a long time. It is like going home. We have a clearer vision, and we are experiencing Jesus like we never have before and wanting more. Spiritual understanding and wisdom come gradually as our faith grows. We begin to realize that God still loves us, still adores us, still wants a relationship with us, even when we wander away. He never gives us and never stops loving us.
When we make a mistake or “backslide,” it is easy to get into the mindset that we are a lost cause, that Jesus wants nothing more to do with us, that our life is a hopeless mess. This is exactly what the devil wants us to believe because then we are ineffective for God’s Kingdom. Even if you have lost some things or relationships that you can’t get back, you can be restored in your relationship with Jesus. You may not be able to see the way through, but Jesus is there to take you through, to give you a second touch. Ask Him today.
