Worship

“There’s Nothing” by Amanda Cook

Scripture

“And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’ And he looked up and said, ‘I see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, ‘Do not even enter the village.'” -Mark 8:22-26, ESV

God’s Continuing Work

Some of you have heard the story of the blind man in South Asia. You can watch the amazing video here. When I laid my hands on him and anointed his eyes with oil, he could see just a little bit. So, we prayed again, and Jesus restored his sight entirely. It was this story in our modern day, except the man in South Asia ran to his village and many were saved because of this miracle! Jesus is still doing the impossible today!

God’s Individual Work

I have been thinking about this story all day. I picture this blind man from Bethsaida, weary of his journey. Who knows if he was blind from birth or contracted a disease that made him blind. The truth is, he couldn’t get to Jesus if he tried. He couldn’t see how to get to him safely. I wonder if it was the faith of his friends or neighbors that brought him to Jesus and led them to beg on his behalf. I wonder if he didn’t even have the words to utter, “I want to see.” Whatever faith was deposited into the hearts and minds of the people surrounding this man, they became instrumental in his miracle.

Interestingly enough, Jesus separates the blind man out from among the people who brought him. He takes him outside the city, hand in hand, for an intimate moment, just him and Jesus. Taking the anointing oil from His own lips, he places His spit it in the eyes of the blind man. It was a process that Jesus used that was unique to this one man; no other person in Scripture was healed this way. It was exceptional, it was intimate, and it became part of this man’s powerful testimony. Even the process of healing for this man was separated out from among the people. His vision and his process of restoration were that important to Jesus.

Your process is unique to you and Jesus; it will not look like anyone else’s.

Jesus was confident in His ability to heal since He is God. For where there is faith, nothing is impossible for those who believe. However, He asked the man, “‘Do you see anything (Mark 8:23)?’” The miracle to restore his sight might have hinged on his answer. If he said, “Yes,” but didn’t mean it, he could have walked away partially healed. If he was afraid to insult Jesus, he could have left with just half of his healing. But Jesus asked him for clarification of his vision, asking him what he saw.

Examining Our Spiritual Vision

I believe that there are some of us right now whom Jesus is asking, “What do you see?”

Are you seeing things through blindness, a partial vision of clarity or crystal clear clarity? How you answer this question with the Lord is critical in this season. Do you see people standing in front of you, distant memories of vision and hope, trauma or tragedy, mountain peaks or valleys? He wants to restore our vision and heal our perspectives because the clarity and perspective by which we see determines how we live.

The blind man’s process of healing, so that he could see with total clarity, was just as important to Jesus as the total healing itself.

We cannot shortstop the healing process from blindness (lack of seeing clearly) to perfect vision.

When John was abandoned on the island of Patmos, all he saw were miles and miles of water and isolation. So, Jesus came to him and essentially told him to come up so He could show John things. He had to come up higher than his physical vision or perspective enabled, to see what God saw. The blind man had to get far enough away from the people for him to gauge his depth perception as Jesus was healing him.

The Role of Community

I have battled some disappointment lately. It’s weighed my heart down to be honest. I could say my vision is waning. My friend asked the Lord for a word to encourage me, and the Lord told her to tell me to go all the way back to when God spoke vision to my heart. I had to readjust my spiritual eye sight from the place where God originally spoke and called me in order to see the road ahead with clarity. Distractions and disappointment cloud our vision.

“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.” -Proverbs 29:18, MSG

The blind man looked up, Scripture says, in order to see in the distance the people who were awaiting his miracle. Perhaps they paced back and forth hoping and praying their dear friend would see again. Perhaps they continued their begging on behalf of their friend for whom they were desperate for a miracle. One thing is for sure: Without his people to help him, he never would have gotten to Jesus.

God uses people in our process of healing as they take us to Jesus and intercede on our behalf.

“Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” -Mark 8:25

A Word of Encouragement

I want to speak to two different people right now, out of a heart of deep compassion. There are some of you who are only seeing with partial vision right now, and Jesus wants to restore your vision so you can see everything clearly. That way you know how to live, being mindful and watchful and living for that day. Then there are some of you who are surrounded by chaos and can’t hear the invitation to come outside the city with Jesus so your process of intimate healing can begin. He wants to give you restored vision for your life. Disappointments and devastations aren’t the lens He has placed on your eyes. The brokenness of people clouds our vision of the character of God (when we desire justice) and our way forward. He wants to untie you from all of these yokes, take you hand in hand, and anoint your eyes to see again.

In closing, the Lord reminded me of a word from Nate Johnson. You can read the entirety of it here. He writes:

“‘I have been shaking My church to reveal the ruptures needed to break Her free from religious mindsets and anything that would oppose a move of My Spirit, and so this shaking is Her deliverance and Her new beginning. But many have been grieving in this process, struggling to see a future and a hope. Struggling to see any silver lining in the ruins of a life that has been snatched from them, but they don’t see what is coming. So watch as I pour out fresh vision upon those who have said, “Lord I feel blind and lost!” For I am going to now open the floodgates of revelation upon the hearts of those who feel empty and starving and fill them with manna for the days to come. In a day they will go from scattered and confused minds, to clear and bubbling, with laughter and joy at the new vision I place in their laps. I am so longing to show you what is to come. I can’t wait to give you wisdom and strategies to navigate the current and future events and lead you in peace and protection.’”

Jesus, place Your hands in ours, anoint our eyes to see, and restore our vision, in the name of Jesus!

Announcements

 Join me on June 23 at the Behold! Holy Fire Conference at Freedom Church in Carrollton, Texas. We will learn about the Holy Spirit, and I will be a speaker.

Register here.

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