Be free from the shackles of the past.

Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV)

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I read a story about a man who was slowly losing his memory. After a lengthy examination, the doctor said that a risky operation on his brain might reverse his condition and restore his memory. However, the surgery would be so delicate that a nerve could be severed, causing total blindness.

The surgeon asked, "So, which would you rather have, your sight or your memory?" The man pondered the question for a while and replied, "My sight, because I would rather see where I am going than remember where I have been."

Satan is always trying to dig up the past and keep us all bound up in our failures. But be encouraged! Today is a new day! Today and every day we have a choice to make! Like Paul, we must choose to press forward and put aside our past. We must purpose to keep our eyes on the Lord, not on our successes or failures, but upon on what can we do for Him today!

Be free from the shackles of the past! Keep your eyes on the prize!

Dear Lord, help us to keep our eyes on the things that are before us and not dwell on the things that are in the past that will tear us down. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Take care of my eyes

John 15:13 (ESV)

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Although this story is fictional, it is meaningful, nonetheless.

There once was a girl who hated herself. You see, she had become blind in her early teens from a rare disease. Not only did she hate herself but she hated everyone else too. She was angry at the world, angry at God, angry at everyone.

There was one person, however, who had known her for years and stood by her side through all this. It was her childhood friend, who loved her ever since grade school. Now in their 20’s, he wanted to marry her.

One day he worked up the nerve to ask her for her hand in marriage. Her reply was that if she could only see the world, she would marry him.

Soon after, someone donated a pair of eyes and she went to surgery to have her malfunctioning ones replaced. It was a miracle. After a few weeks, she took off her bandages and she could see once again. And who was standing by her side, as always? Of course, it was the man who loved her.

"Now that you can see the world, he said, “Will you marry me?" The girl was shocked to discover that he too was blind, and sadly, still refused his hand in marriage. Undeniably, he was devastated.

Sometime later, she received a letter from him, sharing his undying love for her. He signed it, "Please, my love, just take care of my eyes."

A sweet story. But few of us remember what life was like when we were yet blind to the truth of our salvation in Jesus -- and who to thank for their labor in love and prayer and boldness in sharing that truth with us, no?

Let’s never forget where we came from and those who gave of themselves so willingly for the opening of our eyes. And let’s also strive to be the kind of people who are willing to lay down our life for a friend.

Dear Lord, help us be your eyes to those around us. Help Your love flow through us so that the world may see You when they see us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Do we respect and trust God?

Matthew 15:14 (ESV)

Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.

We humans, especially in this day and age, don't like the term "obedience". For some reason such a word angers us and fills us with discontent.

For example, how would we feel if local authorities advise us not to wander outside after dark?

"We're back to World War II!" We would fume. "Our government is no better than the Nazis!"

That is possibly why these three friends were wandering around in one of the neighborhoods of Hveragerdi, Iceland, in the year 1906. True enough, World War II had not yet happened. For that matter, neither had World War I! But no matter the era of history, they were still wandering outside, against local advice.

One thing you must know about the region of Hveragerdi: It is filled with smoke that emits from hot springs. And that night, not only was there smoke coming from these heated pits, but the weather was far from desirable, and the visibility was . . . Well let's just say things were quite . . . Invisible, if you know what I mean!

And yes one of these men did indeed fall into a hot spring. Luckily he had a couple of travel companions, who succeeded in pulling him out of his precarious situation, but he was badly burned, and the following day he succumbed to his injuries. Thanks to him though, one good thing occurred. Hveragerdi was the first town in Iceland to install electric lights, especially around those deadly hot springs!

Why are we so geared to do the opposite of the laws we encounter?

Jesus had a completely different view about obedience: "I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me." (John 14:31)

It is as simple as this: When we respect and trust someone, we delight in pleasing them and we have no problem following their directions.

And what about God? Do we respect and trust Him?

Jesus' answer is clear: "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15)

You can just hear Jesus' tone of voice when He declared this. You can hear His passion. You can see Him filled with adrenaline and utmost love towards his audience. Didn't He die on a cross for everyone who hears these words, so that we could face eternity with a smile?

Still, we need to take the time to answer this question: Do we respect and trust God? Only then will love conquer our hearts.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the passion You have for each one of us. Help us to obey You and Your commands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Bumps aren't wasted

John 9:7 (NIV)

“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

I remember growing up and putting on blind folds over my eyes and trying to walk around.  I remember how my toes were real good at bumping into things and my shines would bang up against something.  When the game was over the blind fold came off and the obstacles I was banging into weren’t a problem anymore.  

There was a man in the Bible that probably encountered a few obstacles himself. Jesus told him "Go, "wash in the Pool of Siloam…." So the man went and washed, and came home seeing 

Jesus' project was born blind. He had never seen the Pool of Siloam or anything else. Nor was he healed before he washed in it. With mud caked eyes, he stumbled and crashed until he finally plunged into healing. When he finished removing the mud, his obstacles weren't obstacles anymore.

Jesus doesn't promise our faith journey will be void of crashes, bumps, scrapes and stumbles. There may even be times when we can't see at all. But taking steps of faith anyway is essential. God promises to work all things together for our good and his purposes; he doesn't even waste the bumps. He'll never allow us to slip and fall permanently but will pick us up, secure our feet on a solid rock and mold us into something we weren't before. More importantly, what we thought were obstacles when we couldn't see now transform themselves into opportunities now that we can.

Trust God to lead you around obstacles you can't see and to heal the scrapes from those you've bumped into.

Dear Lord, thank You that You are a merciful Lord. Thanks You for healing our hurts and giving us the strength to take the next step of faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Seeing the Savior

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Some of us know people who are blind or whose eyes are failing.

That's why we can understand the story of Rose Crawford, who had been blind since birth. I am pleased to report that after delicate eye surgery she can see. Crawford wept at the beautiful colors that greeted her after the bandages were removed. So far her story doesn't sound all that extraordinary, does it?

Sadly, that is not the case.

You see, 20 years of her blindness had been completely unnecessary. Crawford hadn't kept up on the almost miraculous advances that had been made in surgery and technology. As a result, she never knew procedures had been developed that would have restored her vision when she was 30.

Crawford's doctor said, "She just figured there was nothing that could be done. If she had, much of her life could have been different."

In contrast to Crawford, we have the story of our Savior's life.

From before His birth Jesus knew there would be no cure, no technology, no surgery, no miracle that would change His destiny. The Heavenly Father was not going to come up with some new plan for humankind's salvation. There was going to be no last-minute reprieve. So we might be forgiven, Jesus had to carry our sins. So we might live forever, He had to die the death our transgressions had earned.

Now, because Jesus accepted, endured and embraced His life, which ended in that cruel and unjust suffering and death, all who believe on Him as Savior are forgiven and saved. That is God's Good News.

The bad news is this: many millions of people don't know that blood-bought truth. Rose Crawford in the story above was blind, unnecessarily blind, but the people I'm speaking about now are in a far worse condition than was she. They are blind spiritually.

They have not seen what Jesus has done for them and, if they have seen, they have not believed, and they continue to wander in the darkness.

You know, it was a tragedy that nobody told Rose Crawford about the wonderful advances which had been made in the world of eye surgery, but it is a greater tragedy when those who know the Gospel do not share the story of salvation with those who do not.

This is why I challenge you to join me in telling the spiritually blind about Jesus, their divine Doctor who can bring light and life to those who are living in the dark.

Dear Lord, we give thanks that through the Holy Spirit's working we have seen You. We have seen how You accepted the Father's plan as being the only way by which we could be saved. Help us to share it whenever and with whomever we can. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Great Doctor

Matthew 9:12 (NIV)

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Most people have never experienced total blindness, even temporarily. You can see the person in the office next to you, the colors of your clothes, your child's smile when you pick them up and love them. You can see to drive, shop, walk down the street, and so much more. What if you were totally blind? Close your eyes for a minute and see what you can do without seeing. What if you had to live the rest of your life like that?

I once read a story about a man who had been blind since birth. He never had been able to see his mother, father, or siblings. When he became old enough, he wanted to help his family since he knew what a burden he had been to them. He went to the streets to beg for money. It didn't matter how much or how little he got, because anything he received would help his family. At the mercy of people with generous hearts, he would wait, day in and day out, some days getting nothing. For many years he had done this and the people of the city only recognized him as part of the scenery. There was so much hurt and rejection from those he could never see. Some said it happened because of something he had done. Others said it was something his parents had done. No one really knew though.

One day a man came by who some called a physician, others called crazy, and others even called a witch or evil. This man came up to the blind man and smeared mud on his eyes.

Some just watched with horror thinking how awful to do such a thing. Others watched with curiosity to see what would happen next. Still, others paid no attention. The physician, told the blind man to go wash in a pool of water and the blind man did as he was told. He was hoping only for something in his cup if he obeyed, but surely wondered what sort of ridicule would come as a result. As the water in his hands fell from his face, he saw light! Then he saw his reflection in the pool! He could see! He looked up and saw the crowds of passers-by! It was a miracle!

The physician was Jesus.

Do you have an illness or handicap in your life that seems incurable? (We all do.) Do you know that you may be able to show the works of God in your life through this handicap? (We all can.) Whatever your specific handicap, we are all handicapped with sin. Sin comes from disobeying God. The Greatest Physician of all, Jesus Christ, found the cure. He is the cure. John 9:39,

Jesus says, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Let Jesus heal your handicap - your sin handicap. Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." (Matthew 9:12)

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:17-18)

Dear Lord, we thank You for being the great healer.  We pray that when we need healing that we would completely trust in You knowing that You can do all things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blind or Walking in the Light

John 8:12 (New International Version)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Rose Crawford was blind for fifty years. Then she underwent delicate surgery in an Ontario hospital. "I just can't believe it," she gasped, as the doctor lifted the bandages from her eyes. For the first time in her life she saw a beautiful world of form and color.

Now here's is the stunning part of the story! Twenty years of her blindness had been completely unnecessary. The surgical techniques used could have given her vision when she was thirty; the operation had already been perfected then. The doctor said, "She just figured there was NOTHING that could be done about her condition."

Why did Rose Crawford live 20 years assuming her situation was hopeless? Possibly she was not looking for a remedy, had given up hope, or perhaps those who knew of the operation just never told her about it.

Millions of people walk in spiritual blindness TODAY unaware of the terrible consequences (see Matthew 22:13; 25:30). Yet, they are needlessly blind, for there IS a remedy. Why do they continue groping in darkness? Two reasons:

Some have QUIT searching, assuming their condition is hopeless. Such could not be further from the truth. God has gone to extraordinary lengths to provide a cure for spiritual blindness. The Cure is found through His Son Jesus, the "Light of the World." Those who will turn to the LIGHT (Jesus) in faith (Acts 16:31), turning from the sins of darkness in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) are delivered by God "from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Col 1:13). Then "-IF- we walk in the LIGHT as He is in the LIGHT, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Others stumble in spiritual darkness because no one has shared the LIGHT with them. If you are following Jesus, will you not encourage others to do the same? Of Christians Peter said, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet 2:9).

Needlessly blind? What a terrible thought - especially when there is a Cure!

Will YOU not come to Jesus to receive your sight and allow His LIGHT to guide you through this DARK world? Will YOU not also encourage others to do the same?

Dear Lord we pray that we would take the light you have given us and shine it to those around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.