Jesus has a way of providing comfort and reassurance when world events, and sometimes the people in it, are bearing down upon us. While Jesus wants us to see what is going on in the world around us, what He wants even more is for us to see what is going on spiritually… in us and in others around us. Praise God for the grace sufficient to believe. Praise God for the spiritual insight and guidance He provides. May we worship Him in all we do, in all we think, in all we hope to ever do or be. Such a blessing it is to believe in the one and only true God. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)
Discipleship means “discipline!” The disciple is that one who has been taught or trained by the Master, who has come with his ignorance, superstition, and sin, to find learning, truth, and forgiveness from the Saviour. Without discipline we are not disciples, even though we profess His Name and pass for a follower of the lowly Nazarene. [Taken from V. Raymond Edman’s book, The Disciplines of Life, Van Kampen Press, Wheaton, IL, 1948]
We continue to read about the miracle of Jesus restoring the sight to the man born blind. The religious leaders continued to question, or badger, the man whose sight had been restored. Sometimes the answers we seek are in plain sight, but we choose not to accept them. The man born blind held his ground and continued to speak the truth, but the religious leaders would not accept it… or the man who proclaimed it. May we be open to the truth of the gospel and the teachings of Jesus. May we have a simple childlike faith – one sufficient to see the truth and walk toward the light of Christ. May we persevere and be strengthened each time we stand up for the One who saved us from a life of darkness. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)
Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” John 9:17 (NIV)
Why is it that some people find it so easy to believe, while others question things even when they have seen the truth and have the proof? Even with proof, some people still need to challenge the credibility of the evidence that has been placed before them. Sometimes it just may not be the answer they wanted to see or hear. May we have the faith to believe and the trust not to question the miracles and blessings from Christ. May we stand up for what we know to be true because, as Scripture tells us, we did not receive a spirit of bondage and fear, but instead we received a spirit of freedom and truth. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)
Opening Prayer: We have to make choices every day. Unfortunately, sometimes we make bad choices. Many of us have learned that living in this world can be difficult. Often, without purpose or intention, we get hurt by someone or we hurt someone else. Father God, forgive us for what we do. Help us to see when we are wandering away from You. May You draw us near and keep us close. Help us to see that we can turn things around and begin life anew. May we forgive those who have hurt us. May we ask for forgiveness from those we have wronged. May our brokenness be healed by a special touch from Jesus. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Message [used with permission from A Sermon for Every Sunday]: “Forgiveness Is the Way Home” by Carla Pratt Keyes, Pastor of Ginter Park Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia.
Why does the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 resonate with so many of us? Carla Pratt Keyes, pastor of Ginter Park Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia, says, “I think its the way this story taps into the human yearning for home. Home as more than a place, but home as yearning to belong, to be known and loved, to be whole.” How do we go home again? By walking the way of forgiveness. But where do we find the courage and humility to walk that road?
Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, we know You have gone to prepare a place for us. We long for the day when we will finally be in our eternal home with You. May we be reassured and comforted in knowing we belong to You. May we feel the peace that comes from knowing we are loved by You. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.
In thinking about this verse, I was reminded that darkness is the absence of light. In addition, it is interesting to note that the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines light as something that makes vision possible or something that informs or enlightens us. How fitting it is that Jesus proclaims that He is the light of the world. He informs, enlightens, and enables us to see. In this passage Jesus restored the sight of a man born blind. He can, however, enable us to see spiritually as well as physically. May our ability to discern be informed and enlightened by the light of Jesus, the Christ. May we see as He sees… and act accordingly. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)
In this passage of Scripture, the Jews that were talking with Jesus were finding it difficult to see beyond the physical world they lived in… to the spiritual world Jesus was speaking of. It is sometimes difficult for us too. The death Jesus was speaking of was a spiritual death, not a physical death. It was also hard for the Jews to comprehend how Jesus could spiritually move back and forth in time. This is a hard concept to grasp. We need to believe that Jesus is one of the unique persons of our Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We need to believe that God is all knowing, all present, and all powerful… in all things. May we begin to understand the mystery of our Triune God. May we discern the spiritual things and the spiritual world around us. However, in addition to these things, may we obey the word [command] of the Lord to love God and love others. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)
Faithfully Yours Forever 