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Take Courage!
Andrea Lende • March 31, 2020
Mark 10:48-49
Take Courage!
You may also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Take-Courage-ec7i6d
Daily Word:
Mark 10:48-49
“And many severely censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still, but he kept on shouting out all the more. You son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!”
“And Jesus stopped and said, Call him. And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage! Get up! He is calling you.”
This is the story of the blind man who shouted to Jesus and asked for help.
Our first verse tells us that the people around him were trying to quiet him.
The words, “severely censured and reproved him”
were used.
The crowd of people were vehemently trying to quiet this man down.
He was being significantly pressured.
But the man wouldn’t listen.
In fact, our scripture tells us that he cried out all the more loudly!
It must have taken a great deal of courage to go against the crowd.
He was desperate for a healing.
But he would not go unnoticed even though all the people were against him.
Then Jesus told His disciples to bring him to Him.
They told the man, “Take courage!”
He needed even more courage to go and meet Jesus and ask specifically for what He wanted.
As I read these words I thought, yes, I call upon Jesus with my requests.
Sometimes I feel like I’m calling in the blind.
I may even wonder, Is He really listening?
The blind man in this story may have gone through the same thought process.
And suddenly he found himself face to face with the Almighty.
That must have taken courage.
In a moment’s time he found himself face to face with the Lord.
Jesus asked him what he wanted.
Of course, he said that he wanted to see.
I wondered what would happen if I were to hear and see Jesus face to face.
Would I have the courage to ask Him for exactly what I want?
Would I stumble?
Would I stammer?
And then I thought, how is this different for me now?
I know that Jesus sees my pain and that He hears my prayers.
Why would I go any less boldly to the throne than this blind man?
I find that I am taught another lesson by God’s Word.
Today I choose to go boldly to the throne and ask for what I need because Jesus sees me, He hears me, He has compassion for me, and He heals me.
May you find that as you boldly ask for what you desire, that the Lord will most certainly grant it for you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for teaching me day after day about the Power that You possess. Thank You for showing me Your compassion, Your mercy, and Your healing power. I pray that You give me the courage to come boldly to Your throne and ask for what I want and what I need. May Your healing power be upon me. May You strengthen my faith and help me believe that You are waiting for my request. I love watching You work in my life and the lives of those close to me. May You cover us completely during this time of uncertainty. May You watch over and protect me and the family You have given me. Help me come to You for all that I need, Father, knowing that You are a loving God. Keep me at Your feet, Lord. May I walk through this day with a stronger faith and knowing that Your perfect plan is working in my life. Although I do not know how the difficulty of these days will end, You do. Help me give all my worries to You, Lord. Help me give all my fears to You. Help me see every miracle You do, Lord, and not miss anything You so graciously bestow upon me. Help me bless those You put in front of me. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM listening to you and your requests, My child, and take pleasure in granting you the desires of your heart.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and loving God.
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.