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Be Bold!
Andrea Lende • February 28, 2021
Luke 18:38-39
Be Bold and Don’t Let Others Discourage You
Luke 18:38-39
“And he shouted, saying, Jesus, Son of David, take pity and have mercy on me!”
“But those who were in front reproved him, telling him to keep quiet; yet he screamed and shrieked so much the more, Son of David, take pity and have mercy on me!”
Jesus was walking to Jericho with a crowd of people.
There was a blind man sitting by the side of the road who heard all the commotion.
Of course, he couldn’t see, so he asked someone what was happening.
He was told that Jesus was nearby.
He couldn’t run to Him or do much of anything except use his voice to get Jesus’ attention.
So, he started screaming for Jesus.
The people around him told him to be quiet.
Most of us have been told to be quiet at some point in our lives.
It doesn’t feel good to be told by our parents, or teachers, or leaders to be quiet.
However, most of the time we comply and quiet down.
But the blind man didn’t.
He actually got louder.
He was desperate to get Jesus’ attention.
And he succeeded.
Jesus stopped walking and told the people to take Him to the blind man.
He didn’t ask for the blind man to come to Him.
That would have been difficult for the man.
In His mercy, Jesus went to him.
And when Jesus approached him, He asked the man what he wanted to be done for him.
Of course, he told him that he desired his sight.
Verse forty-two says, “And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight! Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your faith in God) has healed you.”
Was it worth it for the blind man to yell and scream to get Jesus’ attention?
Yes.
Was it worth it for him to ignore the people who told him to be quiet?
Absolutely!
He was after his miracle and he received it.
He didn’t shy away from it or think he was unworthy or feel badly for calling to the Lord.
He did all he could do to get the Lord’s attention.
He gave it his all even with the negativity around him.
And he was rewarded.
The Lord is still a God of miracles.
I will use his example to make my prayers and petitions known to God.
I will not allow my friends or family to discourage me from receiving the miracle that the Lord is more than able to do for me.
And I will not allow my own mind to discourage me from continuing to make my requests known to the Lord.
Today I will approach the throne room with boldness, enthusiasm, and an expectation that the Lord hears my prayers and desires to grant my requests.
May you find the Lord is waiting to hear your prayers and desires to grant you the miracle you have been waiting for.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me to come boldly to Your throne and ask You for the things I need and desire. Thank You for showing me You care about me and all the little and big things that matter to me. Help me come to You first, Lord. Help me come to You expectantly knowing that You hear my prayers, and You desire to bless me and bless the work I do. May You lead and guide me to You, Lord. May Your desires become my desires so I may serve You as You ask of me. Thank You for Your continual mercy and grace. Thank You for Your long-suffering patience and forgiveness. Strengthen and prepare me to serve You, Father. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I hear your prayers My child and I desire to bless you in every way.
Response: Thank You most merciful gracious Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.