Working—Right in Our Midst
Walk with me through a narrative, one from the Holy Scripture. This is a story of a man who was born blind, and because of his blindness, his daily task (in the time in which he lived) was to sit and beg for help from others. For you see, he could not see to find what he needed, BUT GOD SENT JESUS INTO HIS MIDST!
“As He [JESUS] passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
(The Gospel According to John 9: 1-3 NASB)
And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
- GOD IS BIG!
GOD IS SO BIG that He places people in certain time periods, in particular generations, in homes, in families where He wills for them to be placed.
Ponder that thought, just for a few moments.
- GOD CREATED YOU AND ME!
God created you and me & God placed us in the era He desired for us to live.
God created you and me & then God placed us exactly in the location He wanted us to live—for the sole purpose to allow the world to see Him!
- GOD IS THAT BIG! &
- GOD HAS ONE PURPOSE!
[Jesus said]
(The Gospel According to John 9: 4-7 NASB)
“We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle,
and applied the clay to his eyes,
[to the man born blind]
and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent).
So he [the man born blind] went away and washed, and came back seeing.”
- GOD IS SO BIG!
- GOD SEEKS TO SAVE THE LOST; TO MAKE THE BLIND SEE!
It is TRUTH!
This man was born blind for this moment in time & we must never forget—
- JESUS CHANGES THINGS!
It is 100% TRUTH!
Jesus did not just happen to be on that road, in that place, in that time period to encounter that particular man who had been born blind, who just happened to be sitting in that place begging.
NO!
That is ludicrous thinking!
- God places His creation—in particular eras, certain generations, particular families, and significant places—to be used for His Glory!
It is truly that simple!
That is why Jesus said to His disciples these words—
“Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
(verses 3-5 repeated)
We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day;
night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
As I sat re-reading this account of the man born blind, it occurred to me that we walk within a world where the ruler of darkness (Satan) wants us to be deceived, defeated, and unfocused in the work the LORD has given us to do.
Yes, that is correct.
The devil is a counterfeit, a liar, & a deceiver. It is a fact.
Whereas, the disciples of Jesus Christ, the Christ-followers, the Christians, the Believers are a threat to the devil’s work here on earth. So, as the father of lies, Satan places every sort of lie within as many minds as possible—both the believers and the unbelievers—the devil seeks to thwart the LORD’S work “as long as it is day; . . .”
HOWEVER, THERE IS A TRUTH WE MUST NEVER FORGET—JESUS CHANGES THINGS!
“and [JESUS] said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent).
(verse 7 repeated)
So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.”
This blind man had to—
- Be born blind.
- Be seated on that particular road.
- Be alive in that certain time period.
- Be willing to see.
- Be willing to believe Jesus at His word.
- Be willing to trust Jesus.
- Be willing to be healed of his blindness.
“So they were saying to him, [to the man born blind]
“How then were your eyes opened?”
“He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’ ; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.”
(The Gospel According to John 9: 10-11 NASB)
God is Working—Right in Our Midst.
- It was true in the day He sent His Only Son to be born as a babe in the manger.
- It was true in the day He sent Jesus to call His disciples.
- It was true in the day He sent the Messiah to pass by the man blind from his birth.
- It was definitely also true in the day Jesus healed this man’s blindness.
Finally, it most-certainly remains true today as you and I walk the face of the earth.
- GOD IS SO BIG—that this blind man was born for that particular day! &
- GOD IS SO BIG—that we are born for this day!
Maybe we have lost sight of the BIGNESS of GOD! &
Maybe we have forgotten how GOD SEES MUCH MORE than we’ll ever see! &
Maybe we have been blinded by the devil’s lies to the way GOD IS WORKING HIS PLAN—HIS PURPOSE—RIGHT IN OUR MIDST!
Within God’s Holy, Infallible Word, we read the words given to us through His Holy Spirit.
May we apply His Word to our lives, to our relationships, to our situations, & to our future HOPE & ASSURANCE—
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
(The Letter to the Hebrews 13: 8 NASB)