DON’T HINDER ME
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
Mark 10:46-52 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
I love the story of blind Bartimaeus. He was a blind beggar beside the road who heard that Jesus was passing by. Evidently Bartimaeus had already heard about the miracles Jesus had performed. He already had faith in Jesus because of what he had heard. It was his faith that motivated him to call out to Jesus. It is interesting to note that Paul teaches us that faith comes by hearing. What we hear is very important because it builds or destroys our faith. The faith of Bartimaeus was so powerful that he refused to allow people to keep him quiet. He had no social standing so when he shouted out people tried to silence him. They didn’t think Jesus should be bothered by someone like Bartimaeus. Maybe his shouting was a bit emotional and too noisy for them. But desperate people are willing to do whatever it takes to get help. It should be noted that Jesus asked Bartimaeus a question, “What do you want me to do for you?” I believe Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to verbalize his faith. He could have asked for money or something to make himself more comfortable in life. But Bartimaeus told Jesus, “I want to see!” He went for the big miracle that money could not buy. We must be careful that we don’t allow people to hinder us from getting to Jesus. We can’t listen to what others think we should or shouldn’t do. We need to be desperate for the presence of Jesus. We should also be willing to ask for the big things. Don’t settle for comfort when we can have transformation. Let’s ask for life change.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit help me to have the boldness I need to receive from You. Help me to have the faith to ask for big things.
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