1% of Your Day

1% of your day is 14.4 minutes. I keep thinking about this. Our actions affect every area of our lives. It is sort of like the snowball effect. If you do one thing, this will happen. It's also seed time and harvest.

For example, what if you spent 1% of your day writing? How would that affect you? Writing has been shown to help your mental health. It is like free therapy.

This applies to other areas as well. What if you read your Bible for 14.4 minutes a day? How would that affect you? God says His Word is like seed. It will produce a harvest.

What can you do for 14.4 minutes today that will positively impact your own life, and those around you?

Here's are some suggestions:

Write a story.
Write a blog post.
Journal.
Read your Bible.
Read a book.
Clean out your closet.
Clean out your car.
Go through your kitchen and collect items to donate.
Tap a nap.
Learn a new skill.

How would completing just one of these activities snowball into other areas of your life?

To learn more about why I write, and why you should consider writing too, check out this post, 26 Reasons Why I Write (And Counting!) 

Five Minute Friday: Escape

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "escape." Usually I wrote non-fiction, but today I thought about trying some fiction again.

Begin.

There was no escape. I was standing there just listening to them. I was trapped, trapped in the middle of those who had been my brethren. But now I just felt like I was on the outside, looking in. It seemed like mania in that room.

The officers were standing there shuffling their feet back and forth, one with beads of sweat forming on his brow, waiting for a punishment to come.

I couldn’t take it any longer. So, I just blurted out, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

Every face in the room turned to me. The chief priests, the Pharisees, and the officers all stared at me intently. After the surprise wore off, a few of the Pharisees knit their eyebrows in confusion, and possibly some in anger.

I really wanted to turn and run. But I held my ground. I stared back and waited for the inevitable; a chastisement was surely coming.

A few of them began to speak in unison, all with the same thought. “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

It was all I could do to not roll my eyes. I simply said, “Hmmmm” while stroking my beard, trying to appear in thought. This diverted their attention away from me and back to each other somewhat. It was not time for me to give myself away just yet. Who knew what else was to come?

After I lost their attention, I turned to leave the boiler of a room, and walked away with my hands behind my back, mumbling quietly under my breath, “Well Jonah came from Galilee.”

As I walked out the door, I could hear them plotting. “We must trap this carpenter in his own words, expose him before the people. But what can we do?”

End.





*This is a fictional rendering of the events that happened in John 7:45-52, from the perspective of Nicodemus, the night before a woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus in the Temple.

Five Minute Friday: Adjust

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "adjust."

I think we all are always adjusting. Things change constantly. Kids grow. We change jobs. We move to new places. Adjusting is a major word in all our lives. It just usually happens at a slower pace than it is happening right now.

With these Five Minute Friday prompts, I usually take the word and find it in the Bible and write off that scripture as a prompt. But, when I looked up the word adjust on the Biblehub page, I couldn’t find it.

Does that mean that people in the scriptures never had to adjust? Definitely not!

I can think of a lot of situations where people had to adjust. When Noah and his family got on the ark, they had to adjust. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they had to adjust. When Rahab left Jericho, she had to adjust. When Mary and Joseph left Nazareth to go to Bethlehem, they had to adjust. When the disciples left everything to follow Jesus, they had to adjust.

Throughout all of this adjusting, there is one common factor. God.

God was present throughout all this adjusting. He was sheltering, leading, guiding, protecting, teaching, and delivering people into a new place, in all of those situations.

In the second half of the verse Hebrews 13: 5, the Lord tells us, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” I have this scripture on a big four foot sign I had made to hang on my wall. It was a very important verse for me during a challenging time that came with some big adjustments.

I am in the middle of another big adjustment right now. We just moved to a new city, and are still waiting to find a permanent place to live, but the pause button has been pushed on that. I so wish I had my sign with me to put on the wall.

But I still have it in my mind. He will never leave me, nor forsake me. He is always there leading, guiding, protecting, delivering, and teaching while I adjust.

If you are struggling with adjusting right now, just know you are not the only one.  I am too.  A lot of people are.  But God.

A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers

I recently read the book, A Week in the Life of Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers,  It is about the life of a woman in Ephesus when the church was just starting there.

Women's lives were so hard!! They were considered property and treated anyway their spouses wished.

The parts of the book I loved was when the woman started learning about Jesus. That was really cool. The author also included several incidents of healing, which was amazing!

I think we forget about what it is like for people who don't know anything nor have ever heard about Jesus, and then all of a sudden start learning. It was very refreshing to see what that would be like through the eyes of that woman.

I think it would be refreshing to all of us to go back to the early days and remember the love of God we felt and how clean and pure everything seemed when we first came to the Lord.

There were also a few Bible figures in the book including Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila. It was interesting to see how the author interpreted their personalities.

Another interesting aspect of the book is that pictures and factual information from that time period in Ephesus were included as part of the book. That was a little awkward reading it at first, because it is Biblical fiction, a story that is fiction, but based on events in the Bible. But it helped to understand the time period more, and the book of Ephesians more as well.

I think when you understand what was going on, it helps you to read the Bible with fresh eyes. This is only one of the books in "A Week in the Life of" series, and I can't wait to read more!

Bold Women in the Bible

When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.

-Acts 4:13 (Berean Study Bible)

Boldness. The word in the Greek is “parresia.” It means freedom of speech or confidence. So, the word has to do with confidence in what we say.

There were many bold women in the Bible. I put together a short list that I thought would encourage some of us when we speak. Some of these women were bold in their actions as well. If her name is highlighted, you can click on it and go read where I have written more about her story in another post.

Tamar -Genesis 38

Tamar's story is found in the book of Genesis. While we might not agree with her actions, nevertheless she was bold in securing her rights that were actually set in place by the law. She is also the first woman listed in the genealogy of Jesus. (See the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1.)

Deborah-Judges 4

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.-Judges 4:4

Deborah led men in the book of Judges. She was the only female judge in Israel that is listed. To lead an army and be a judge would require some boldness.

Rahab-Joshua 2Rahab was a prostitute that hid the two spies when they came to spy out Jericho. She helped them escape and her family were the only ones who were saved when Jericho was destroyed.

Jael-Judges 4
Jael was also included in the same story of Deborah. She risked her life and is the heroine of the story. When the enemy invaded her house, she used a hammer and tent peg to end his reign as an adversary.

Naaman’s servant girl-2 Kings 5

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.

-2 Kings 5:1-4


Phoebe-Romans 16Phoebe is one of the women listed in Romans chapter 16. Paul said she was a deacon at the church of Cenchrea. It is widely held by many scholars that Phoebe was the one who delivered the epistle to the Romans to the Church at Rome. Not only would that have been a dangerous journey during the time, but it was a very important letter!

Mary of BethanyMary is found in all four Gospels, always sitting at Jesus’ feet. She was ridiculed on multiple occasions, first by her sister and then by other disciples for her actions. She was brave and set a precedent for what women in the Church should be like now.

Martha-Luke 10, John 11
Martha was brave in her outspokenness in her conversations with the Lord. In Luke 10, she refers to him as Lord, but in an extremely exasperated and sassy way. Jesus answers her statement but does not rebuke her boldness. In John 11, we see her have a monumental theological conversation with Jesus that is pivotal in our understanding of Jesus and who He is.

Women in Luke 8
There is a list of women in Luke 8 that supported the ministry of Jesus out of their own financial means.

Priscilla -Acts 18
Priscilla and her husband were both companions of Paul. She is said to have “risked her life for the church” and on one occaision corrected another male believer in his theology, albeit privately.

Lydia-Acts 16
Lydia was the first European convert in the book of Acts that we know about. After her conversion, she boldy invites Paul and his team to come and stay at her house, if they consider her a Believer in the Lord.

In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul writes to Timothy,


For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

That is the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, who lives inside all Believers. He gives us boldness, just like he did Peter and John.


The book of Acts is still being written. The Holy Spirit wants us to continue to proclaim Jesus with boldness, as women, as men, as the Church.



May you continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus,
Beth

Purpose in the Body of Christ

You know what I think we all need to be talking about more? Purpose. Not purpose in life, but purpose in the Body of Christ. Every single Believer has purpose in the Body of Christ. Each one has gifts and has the capability to reach those in their current situation. I don't think you have to jump out of your vocational calling to be effective as a Believer. That is part of your calling. But we all have a message to give to the world. You are loved. You are forgiven. You are free. Jesus made sure of that. Once you cross from darkness to light, you have Jesus living on the inside of you. And He wants to say something to the world. Don't wait until you think you have crossed some illusionary line of readiness. Let people know they are loved now.

We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips. So we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to him.” For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him.-2 Corinthians 5: 20-21 (The Passion Translation)

Five Minute Friday: Well

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes.  Today's word is  "well."

Begin 5 minutes.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,  ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.-Mark 6:53-56 NKJV

I believe these miracles were facilitated by the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5.  She touched the hem of his garment first.  And then other people heard about it, and their faith in Jesus took off from there.

It says about her in Mark 5, "when she heard about Jesus."  That's how she got healed.  She heard something about Him.

Lots of times, ministers like to preach about specific subjects, and sometimes Jesus is pushed over to the side.  He is not the focus, or the the main entree.  He is like a side dish.  Jesus should always be the focus, the center.

The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the word about Christ.  That's how we get faith, by hearing about Jesus.  Tricia Gunn says "Jesus is the bridge."  We don't get to Him by our faith.  We get to faith by Him.

In the above passage, it says as many as touched him were made well.  That word well is often translated other ways.  It is translated "healed" and "cured."  It is actually the Greek word "sozo."  It is an all encompassing word that means "protection, salvation, deliverance, and wholeness."

So all those made well, were sozo-ed.  They were made completely whole.  They walked away with nothing missing and nothing broken.  

How do we get well today?  The exact same way.  Jesus.  He is the focus and the center.  He is the bridge to our faith.  And we get that faith by hearing about Him.  He is the main thing.  

End 5 minutes.

Women in the Life of Jesus: The Wife of Pontius Pilate

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”-Matthew 27:19 (NKJV)

She is often referred to in tradition as Procula or Claudia or Claudia Procula.  She was the wife of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea during the time of Jesus, and was presumably a Roman.  

She has only one sentence in all of scripture that is devoted to her found in Matthew 27:19.  It may be only one sentence, but it actually can tell us quite a lot.

It seems as though she was a brave woman.  She obviously felt confident enough to send Pilate a message, and at a very tense time.  He was sitting on the judgment seat with a lot of people screaming at him, an odd time to receive a message from your wife.

She could have also felt very safe in her marriage to send him the message at such a time.  Pilate has been described as being ruthless.  He made many ruthless decisions during his time as prefect in Judea, but his wife felt confident and/or safe enough to send him a message.

Or she could have also been motivated by panic.  We could determine that because of her state of mind described in the message.

It was very early in the day, and she had probably just recently woken up from sleep, and had been dreaming.  I have had dreams before and woken up and still carried them with me, to the point that they did effect my morning. But she was very shaken up, enough to send her husband a message.

In the message, she says she has "suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."  I used to think, why would God give her a dream to make her suffer?  That seems very out of character for God.  But recently after reading this passage a few times, it occurred to me that she could have quite possibly had a dream about what was actually going to happen to Jesus, both physically and spiritually.

Physically, He would suffer a lot. He would be beaten,  and have a crown of thorns forced into His head.  Jesus would also be flogged at the order of Pilate. (See John 19:1)  Peter tells us later on in the epistles what this flogging was for.  

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.-1 Peter 2:24

He would also be crucified by being nailed to a cross.  But while He was there, there were things happening spiritually that you couldn’t see with the physical eye.  He would spiritually be taking on sin for all mankind. In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist says about Him,

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!-John 1:29

His body would be beaten.  His blood would be shed. I believe now that is why Pilate's wife suffered in a dream because of Him.

Because she was Roman, the fact that He was the Son of God was probably outside of her belief system.  I don’t believe she was given the dream to stop the crucifixion of Jesus, because that was part of His purpose.  But in sending the message to Pilate she was another testifying about Jesus, even though she did not know.

She was like the high priest in John 11, who unknowingly prophesied about Jesus’ death.

Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. -John 11:49-52 (NKJV)

One last thought.  She was a Roman.  Surely she had seen beatings and many crucifixions before.  What made Jesus’ so different?  I believe it hinges on one word. When she sends the message, she calls Jesus a "just” man.  Different translations use the words “righteous” or  “innocent.”  That word in the Greek is "dikaios."  It occurs 80 times in the New Testament, and is found in Galatians 3:11 where it says, "The just shall live by faith."  Jesus was innocent.  And His death would make way for those who believe to be just too.  He was the first of many.

To read more posts in this series, go here to Women in the Life of Jesus. 

Jesus Walked into a Bar

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.-Luke 15:11-24




When I was twenty-two years old, I moved back to the small town I grew up in. I was the prodigal daughter come home. I had just returned from a 3 year stint of a partying lifestyle just like the prodigal son in the story found in Luke 15.

In the fall of the previous year, I was working as a waitress in a bar at the beach when I met this guy. We started dating. At some point he started talking to me about God and Church. I was very responsive for two reasons I think. One, I was raised in the Church. I had come to know the Lord at age 12, and was baptized in the Spirit at age 13. Two, I was tired. I was so tired of the life I was living.

It was exhausting, emotionally, physically, everything. I was smoking and drinking, and my body was worn down. I have a picture from around that time when my nephew was born. My face was so swollen and I looked more aged then than I do now. I was ready to come home.

So, I started going to church with this guy. He and I made quite a pair. The Church has become a little bit more progressive in its lack of judgment on the external now, but then I felt like we were a little odd. Thank God, literally, that nobody pointed it out. How would that have affected my outcome?

One Sunday we went to church, and I wore this very trendy, but revealing one-piece outfit that laced up the back and tied at my waist. It was just spaghetti straps in the front and very low cut. My boyfriend had really long hair, but usually pulled it back when we went to church. The church we attended was very formal, one where the choir is fully robed, and the minister is robed, and the building is very ornate. We always sat in the balcony, so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Looking back on that particular visit, I am so thankful that the Body of Christ represented there was so thankful that we were present and didn’t say anything about my wardrobe.

As time went on, I became more and more interested in God. I started watching Bible teaching on TV, and continued to attend church. I began to read my Bible, the best I knew how. Memories of things I had learned in childhood, and experiences I had came flooding back. The light was reintroduced and I was no longer in the dark.

Eventually, my boyfriend and I broke up, and I moved home to be near my family. I wish I could say that I continued my walk with the Lord faithfully, but it took a few years before I quit allowing things to lure me back into a lifestyle that was full of pain and sadness. At some point I realized I was grieving the Holy Spirit, and I couldn’t take it anymore. He loved me.

A few years later, I left home again. Only this time, I was not setting out for the place that had brought me down. I was being led into a new beginning by God. He called me to go to Bible School. At first it was hard for me, because I still felt so unworthy. How could I, with the mess I had been, go to a school where they taught the most precious thing on this earth, the Word of God?

But Jesus had made me worthy with His blood.

Sometime later I had an epiphany. The light came on. It wasn’t my boyfriend who walked into that bar. It was Jesus. He was looking for His lost sheep.

So no matter what middle place you find yourself in today, know that Jesus is looking for you too. He wants to carry you home.


Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.-Luke 15:1-7 (NKJV)

If you would like to know more about Jesus and what He has done for you, please go here.

31 Days of Healing: ALL Things Are Possible!

The enemy of our souls is a liar.  He will tell you your situation is hopeless, that it is over, and this is just not true. There are many men and women whose stories tell us that nothing is ever hopeless with Jesus.

*The man born blind from birth was healed by Jesus. He instantly received his sight.

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated Sent.) So he went and washed, and came back seeing.-John 9:6-7(NKJV)

*The woman bleeding for 12 years was healed.  Her blood flow instantly stopped when she touched Jesus.

When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.-Mark 5:27-29 (NKJV)

*The man at the pool of Bethesda who hadn’t walked for 38 years was immediately healed by Jesus.

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.-John 5:8-9 (NKJV)

*Malchus’ ear was instantly restored by Jesus after Peter cut it off with a sword.

And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.-Luke 22:50-51 (NKJV)

*The man laid at the Temple Gate called Beautiful who was lame from his mother’s womb was instantly healed.

Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”  And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.  So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them-walking, leaping, and praising God.  And all the people say him walking and praising God.-Acts 3:6-9 (NKJV)

*The man at Lystra who had been a cripple from his mother’s womb was instantly healed after hearing Paul preach.

And in Lystra, a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.  This man heard Paul speaking.  Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!”  And he leaped and walked.-Acts 14:8-10 (NKJV)

*The widow of Nain’s son was raised from the dead.

The He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.  And He presented him to his mother.-Luke 7:14-15 (NKJV)

*Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead.  

Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with amazement.-Mark 5:41-42 (NKJV)

*Tabitha was raised from the dead.

Then Peter arose and went with them.  When he had come, they brought him to the upper room.  And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.  But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed.  And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.  And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.  Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.-Acts 9:39-42 (NKJV)

All of these will tell you it is not hopeless. Nothing is ever hopeless.  It isn’t over until you are in the ground, and then Lazarus would tell you otherwise.

All things are possible to him who believes.  Keep fighting.  Keep believing.  Don’t give up.  God is faithful. Your answer is found in JESUS.

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”-Mark 9:23

To read more in the series go here:

31 Days of Healing: Two Blind Men Healed

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.-Matthew 20:29-34 (NKJV)

Jesus and His disciples are leaving Jericho, the famous Old Testament city where the walls fell when the Israelites marched around it.  A great deal of people are following Jesus.  As they leave, they pass by two blind men sitting by the road.  They hear Jesus is passing, so they start crying out to Him.

They must have known who Jesus was already, because they try to get His attention.  What did they hear about Him that produced that reaction?

The phrase, "Son of David" that they used signified that they believed He was the Messiah!!  This is faith, and gets Jesus' attention.  

The people around them told them to be quiet.  Are there people around you that want you to quit talking about Jesus?  The devil sure does.  Why?  Because when you talk about Him, it produces faith.  

Jesus heard them calling.  He heard them.  He hears when you call too.

He asked the same question He asked others and He is asking still, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” they said to Him, “open our eyes.”-Matthew 20:33 (HCSB)

They told Him specifically what they wanted.

And He did it.

Moved with compassion.

He didn’t go through a list of what they had been doing wrong, or why they were blind, He just healed them.

Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.

How does this apply to us?

When your eyes are opened, when your body is healed, you will always want to follow Jesus.  

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.-Hebrews 13:8  He is always working.-John 5:17  He makes all things new.-Revelation 21:5

And everything Jesus did during His earthly ministry, was a preview of what was going to be available to us all because of what He accomplished at the Cross.

To read more in the series go here:

31 Days of Healing: Healing Scriptures

For I am the Lord that healeth thee.-Exodus 15:26

And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.”-Exodus 23:25

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;-Psalm 103:3

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.-Psalm 105:37

He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.-Psalm 107:20

But [in fact] He has borne our griefs,

And He has carried our sorrows and pains;
Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken,
Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him].
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing];
The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him,
And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.-Isaiah 53:4-5

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.-Matthew 15:28

Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.-Matthew 27:26

He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. –Mark 3:5

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.-Mark 5:36-37

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”-Acts 10:38

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?-Romans 8:32

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.-Romans 10:17 (HCSB)

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.-1 Corinthians 11:24

So then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? -Galatians 3:5(HCSB)

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.-James 5:16

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.-1 Peter 2:24

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.-3 John 2

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