Let It Nourish

Let my teaching fall on you like rain;
    let my speech settle like dew.
Let my words fall like rain on tender grass,
    like gentle showers on young plants.

Deuteronomy 32:2 

 

Ever notice how much we moan, groan and complain when the forecast calls for rain on the weekends?  I used to work with a person who, quite literally, ranted and yelled when the weekend forecast called for rain.  Some people hate rainy days.  I, personally, like rainy days (except having to be on the road with people who have no idea how to drive in the rain).  Rainy days are times of reflection and contemplation for me.  

Think about this now, how many people don't like to think?  One would imagine that number would be fairly small, but quite the contrary is true.  Need proof? Think of all the people who go through the motions of their daily routine without ever once thinking about much of anything.  I confess, I can usually do that until the third cup of coffee kicks in.

What does rain do for us?  Well, it cleanses.  It washes pollen and dust out of the air.  It also cools us. It releases nutrients in the earth that help plants grow.  Rain refreshes!  

Now, what does Scripture do?  Well, it cleanses. It clears out our hearts and minds when we focus on God.  It refreshes the anxious, depressed, and weary spirit.  Scripture REFRESHES!

 

Let God's teaching fall on you like rain!

Let God's love settle on you like dew.

Let God's words fall on you like tender grass, 

like gentle showers on young plants. (Feeding, nourishing and restoring you).

We May Not See It Now, But...

“Do not forget this! Keep it in mind!
    Remember this, you guilty ones.

Remember the things I have done in the past.
    For I alone am God!
    I am God, and there is none like me.

Only I can tell you the future
    before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
    for I do whatever I wish."

Isaiah 46:8-10 

Have you ever taken a look at a Mosaic?  Have you ever watched an artist create a Mosaic?

The artist takes colored tiles, pottery, glass and breaks them into small pieces.  Then they will pick through the pieces and shards to find what fits their conceived design.  They each piece is fixed in place to create incredible images like the staircase above.  Each piece of mosaic art is extremely time consuming and labor intensive, not to mention mentally exhausting keeping the image in mind and focusing on making sure each piece is in place.  

The result of all that hard work and patience is breathtaking!  

Now.....we may not understand why we have to endure each event in our lives, but God does.  He is carefully and patiently making sure that each event is in just the right place at just the right time to shape our lives into the most amazing mosaic!

God NEVER makes mistakes!  He is ALWAYS with us, even, and especially, during the tough trials.  And His plans for us are going to be the art that someone else will see and be inspired by, because God never wastes an experience!

If you are going through a difficult, challenging, painful, or troubling time in your life, know that this is part of God's Mosaic called Your Life In Him!

Is Your Life Being Stolen?

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. 

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:10

A thief steals.  That what thieves do.  Only thing they care about is that you have something they want, so they take it regardless what it takes to get it from you.  Your happiness is not even in their scope of thinking.  Your comfort is among the last things they would bother to consider.  Your peace of mind is not even on their radar.  If you have something they want, they will destroy you to get it.

 

Guess what?  I'm talking about identity theft.  Well, not the one where a million dollars will be put up to restore your identity.  I'm talking about an identity that we tend to forget about when struggles hit us and the storms of life seem to just keep coming.  

 

We feel defeated!  We feel as if we have let everyone down!  We feel ready to just give up because we don't think we have anything left within us to continue.  So we crumple and we wonder what happened to us.

 

Welcome to the tactics of our enemy!  If he can steal our identity, he can make us feel defeated.  If he can make us feel defeated, then he knows others will see us in turmoil.  If others see us in turmoil, they will see us either struggle back to our feet or they will see us give up.  What's our identity that the enemy tries so hard to steal?  Our identity as Children of the King of Kings!  

 

I will openly confess that there are times that I struggle and feel defeated.  There are times that I have failed because I have allowed the enemy to steal my joy from me. There have been times that I have neglected my armor and it has gotten rusty.  There are times that I have been so exhausted from trying to fight the barrage missiles from the enemy that I have forgotten WHOSE I am! I have been so distracted by the battle that I took my eyes off the one who fights IN MY PLACE!  I forgot my place as God's Child!

 

If you don't remember anything else, write this down so you will remember it:  My body may ache, my memory may fail, but no one can steal my identity as God's Child!

 

Romans 8:31-39 states it very clearly: 

 

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that NOTHING can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
 

Why Do You Care?

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?

Psalm 8:3-4 

Have you ever stopped to wonder why, out of the VAST expanses of the Universe, God knows so much about us that He calls us by name and even knows how many hairs we have and has made a plan for each of us?

There have been times when I thought God forgot I existed or perhaps just didn't care.  Yet, everything I could think of proved that He does care. 

If God didn't care, would He have provided us with air to breathe, water to drink (and hopefully bathe in on occasion)?  

Would He have bothered to make us so we can learn things like medicine, engineering, philosophy?  

What good does it do God that we are here?   Absolutely none!  We are not here because God needs us!  We are here because God WANTS us and LOVES us!

We are among the most insignificant bits of dust in the heavens, yet God knows our hearts and knows our hurts and knows our wants and knows our needs.  

What is man that God gives a care about us?  It's called LOVE!

The Paradox Of Weakness and Strength

Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10 

 

When I was a child, I wanted to be a Superhero.  Superman, Batman, Thor, Green Lantern, Flash....all the awesome names and costumes were taken.  So I set about trying to discover my super power.  The more I looked, the more I came up empty.  

 

I already had my costume (an orange swimsuit and Mom's old picnic blanket).  I already knew that flight was not my super power having jumped off the roof and spending a couple of days in hospital for my efforts.  I knew my super power wasn't speed (given my athletic abilities I have no special skills in that area).  

 

I was beginning to become extremely discouraged and frustrated.  And the more discouraged and frustrated I became, the more my friends and schoolmates wanted to talk with me about their issues and wanted to know what I thought about their situations.  This annoyed me at first because, I was trying to focus my energies on my own issues.

 

Finally, I asked one of my friends why they insisted on talking to me when it was plain that I had something else on my mind.  To my amazement, my friend said, "Because you get it!  You understand. Ain't another you anywhere."  Hmmmmmmm.......

 

Then I began to understand....we ALL are super heroes to someone simply because we are who God made us to be.  We might be that teacher who has the gift of presenting the lessons in such a way that the students get it.  We might be that one person who lights up a room simply because we have the gift of laughter and smiles.  We might be that one person who has ears to listen, wisdom to be quiet, and experiences that can guide.

 

Each one of us, in our weakness, are superheroes when we let God work through the gifts and talents He has given us.  When I am weak, I rely on Him and THEN I am strong!

 

BTW, my Super Hero music is the theme from the Benny Hill Show.

Pray For The Peacemakers And The PeaceKeepers!

This has been National Police Week, and today I ask you to join with me in lifting to the heart of God police officers you know, have met, or know of.  And to lift them BY NAME. If you don't know their name, introduce yourself....they really are great people.

Abba Father,
In this moment, we give to you our offerings of praise and gratitude for those who keep us safe and enforce the laws.  We are grateful that You have called them to stand as Your guardians of Your people.  

As each officer prepares for their tour: 
     grant them Your strength to do what must be done
     grant them Your wisdom to make the split second decisions
     grant them Your discernment to determine the best course of action
     grant them Your patience when dealing with the public
     grant them Your protection as they go where evil dwells
     grant them Your love to show the world that police are here to help
     grant them Your courage to show that they are human too
     grant them Your fearlessness to let others come alongside and care
     grant them the knowledge that You are protecting their families
     fill them with the truth that You have called each of them BY NAME and love them
     grant us the desire to pray for them, love them, care about them, and encourage them
     fill them with the truth that they are appreciated and we are grateful for each of them
     Remind those who would break the law, that YOUR agents will enforce the laws, and lawbreakers should fear.

And as each officer goes through their tour, remind them that You are always with them!

And at the end of their tour, let each officer be grateful to You that they can go home safe.

Remind us always to, with gratitude, to pray for those who protect and serve.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
Amen!
 

Don't Panic!

When I was a child, I was one of those kids who would run out into the street without ever thinking about traffic.  I was the kid who would ride my bike down a steep hill as fast as I could without thinking about what might happen.  I was the kid who would act without thinking.

After learning the hard way, many times, that THINKING should usually come before action.  Our parents held our hands when we were getting ready to cross the street, or when we were in a crowded area, or when we felt afraid.  

And God reminds us that we are ALWAYS His children, because He takes hold of our right hand to comfort and protect us, even though we may believe we're too grown up for that. Truthfully, I'm glad He does because within me the child who acts without thinking still resides.

There's A Light!

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
    so why should I tremble?

~Psalm 27:1 

 

What is the purpose of light? To illuminate the area around us so we can see where we are going and what we are going.  That's part of it.  

 

Light is also used to guide and draw others toward it.  If you are lost and see a light, chances are you will make your way toward the light.  Light gives direction to ships at sea as well.  A ship sees the light and knows that there is land close by and it also is a good idea to check the charts to see if the light is warning of rocks, wrecks, and other hazards.

 

God is our light!  He guides us, shows us where the dangers are, draws us to Him, shows us the path we should take.  

 

What is the purpose of a fortress?  To keep the things out that seek to do us harm or destroy us.  Inside the fortress, we are safe and have no need to fear.  Fortresses in the time of the Psalmist were places of protection where the citizens could enter and be safe from marauders.  Fortresses took relatively few soldiers to defend it, in comparison to the vast armies it would take to conquer it.  And God's fortress is manned by God Himself!  Who or what have we to fear!

 

Yesterday, we were reminded to Armor Up and today we see God's light so we can enter His fortress and feel safe and secure.  But here's the point:  Light only works if you look for it.  Fortresses only protect those who enter it.  Let's not stand idle!

Armor Up!

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.  For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

Ephesians 6:12-13

In the days of the Roman Empire, soldiers knew they would be in a fight.  They knew they would most likely be executed if they ran away or refused to fight.  On the upside, once a soldiers enlistment was over, the Empire took good care of them.  The Apostle Paul was a Roman citizen (by family purchase) and was accustomed to seeing the Roman Soldiers, and probably interacted with them regularly.  He got to see their armor up close and understood why the armor was SO important to the success of the Legions.

Did you know that we are in a daily battle?  Believe it or not, our faith is under constant attack in order that our faith will become weak and/or so we will lose heart and stop fighting.  Paul was well aware of this and reminds us that we need to ARMOR UP!

Our battle is not with people. Rather we fight against the ideologies that seek to make our faith something to be manipulated and pulled apart.  I wish I could tell you that people study, and learn from, the Scriptures.  But far too many have become "soakers" who believe whatever a pastor or "religious speaker" says without every checking to see if it is actually true.  We have people in the pulpits who give "pep-talks" or motivational speeches or "feel good" talks and may or may not ever reference the Bible.

This is why we must Armor Up EVERY SINGLE DAY!  We have to be prepared for the fray every single day.  Imagine if a police officer arrived on a violent call only to remember that their weapon had rusted from lack of attention.  Imagine the soldier going into battle and realizing that they didn't remember to pack supplies to survive in a hostile environment.  Yet this is exactly what we do when we don't bother to read, study, and check out what we're being taught.

Paul reminds us that we MUST put on our armor and prepare for the battle or we will not survive.

"Never trust one who has no battle scars, for they have never been in a fight." 

Tired of Trying?

Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Luke 5:16

Have you ever given of yourself to the point that you were just tired of trying?  

Have you ever tried but felt as though you were just banging your head against a stone? 

Have you ever felt as though the more you do, the more is expected, and the less your efforts are appreciated, much less noticed?

 

Yeah....me too.  

 

I like to think and contemplate.  In order to contemplate, I need time where I can be quiet and block out distractions.  It's part of my introverted nature and contemplation allows me to recharge and regain perspective.  When it's been a while since I have had such an opportunity to recharge, I begin feeling overwhelmed and burned out, which impacts the way I engage others.

 

But I cannot even begin to imagine how Jesus felt with CROWDS of people following Him around always wanting Him to teach them, heal the sick, perform miracles, and on and one the demands would go.  And just having all those people crowded around so close would make me claustrophobic.  People constantly clamoring for His attention....Church Folk constantly trying to discredit Him...His Disciples constantly questioning Him seeking insights and favors from Him.....   If we read the Scriptures carefully, we see that Jesus gave of Himself (and gave and gave and gave and gave).  

 

How are we to deal with the times when we feel burned out?  

Here are a few practical ways:

       1.  Get away to someplace you feel comfortable and that is quiet.

       2.  Write!  Don't worry about making sense, just get your thoughts, concerns, frustrations, irritations, exhaustions out.  Don't try to "sound holy" because God ALREADY knows what you're thinking and feeling.

       3.  Spend time walking and looking at God's creation of nature. (I like going somewhere where there is running water).

      4.  If you feel sleepy, then sleep.  Putting pressure on your time away is not truly taking time away.

      5.  Leave your gadgets at home!!!

      6.  Most importantly, talk with God about EVERYTHING that is on your mind and heart.

This list is in no way exhaustive, but if you can do this on regularly, you will begin to notice that you are able to handle life with more insight and resilience. 

 

The Problem With Storms...

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27

We don't like storms.  The problem with storms is that we get wet, which makes us uncomfortable, which makes us irritable, which makes us cranky.....you see where I'm going with this.  

I happen to like storms.  Well....as long as I am safely ensconced someplace dry and I can observe, but not participate, the storm's fury and destruction.  But that doesn't really help me understand how it feels to endure a storm.

We don't like pain, conflict, or, for that matter, discomfort.  We like things to be comfortable, easy, fun and safe for us.  So when something happens that causes us pain, we tend to withdraw or we lash out at the one who hurt us and anyone who tries to help us, and keeps everyone at a distance so we won't be hurt again.  

I have some good news and some bad news - The Bad News: Storms are going to come, they are going to hurt, and we must learn to endure them.  The Good News: No storm comes and stays.  Storms are temporary!

When we think about Jesus, we see Him as the one who spoke to the storm and it obeyed Him by going away.  But remember, Jesus endured more than just the storm He spoke to.  Remember when Lazarus died?  Jesus was so brokenhearted that He wept!  

• Jesus endured the physical pain of being rejected by the very people He came to help.
•  Jesus endured the pressure of constantly being criticized by the Scribes and Pharisees.  
• Jesus endured the constant threat of their plots, taunts, challenges, and arrogance.
• Jesus endured the agony of his own Disciples (whom He loved) betraying Him, abandoning Him and even denying Him.
• Jesus enduring the humiliation of being beaten, tortured, stripped, presented to the public so they could laugh at Him and reject Him, and finally being killed as if He was some sort of criminal.
• He was accused falsely.  He was judged before He ever came to trial.  He was condemned no matter what He could say in His own defense.

So when Jesus says that He gives us His Peace, He knows what we need to endure our painful storms.  He knows the people we need in our lives to help us through the storm, and to help clean up the aftermath.  Jesus knows what we endure when the storms of our lives come crashing in....and He already has a plan in place to help us through.

The Way of Wisdom

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

James 1:5 

 

Wisdom....we all want to be thought of as wise.  Many try to read books filled with wise sayings or how to find wisdom or they may make pilgrimages to "spiritual places" seeking wisdom.  Here's a hard fact....wisdom proves that we have survived our own stupidity.

 

How many times have we seen people do some INCREDIBLY stupid things?  The person who jumps off the house thinking they will land safely in the bed of a moving truck....then they wonder what happened when they wake up in the ambulance with a broken tailbone.  There are entire television series dedicated to the idiotic acts of human beings.  We laugh at the antics until we do something that would be worthy of the program.

 

Many cultures believe that if you are old enough to have grey or white hair (even if it's just a couple of strands), then you have survived life long enough to be considered wise.  But look at what God tells us through today's verse: "If you NEED wisdom [and we do], ask our generous God, AND HE WILL GIVE IT TO YOU."  Yes, God will give us wisdom, we just need to be wise enough to accept it and act on it!

 

Is it wise to take a start an argument with a drunk?  I would say not, because the drunk will not appreciate it, understand it, and might even be offended by your efforts.  

 

Is it wise to BE a drunk? I would say not.  It lowers your mind's desire to use the wisdom God has so generously given you. 

 

You see, wisdom teaches.  If we cannot learn, then we are not wise!  

 

My Main Point: Wisdom usually comes when God gets us to THINK!

"And The Award Goes To....."

Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24

We like for our hard work and effort to be recognized.  We like to receive awards for our service.  After all, the receiving of awards and recognition proves that we are valuable, conscientious, and hard working.  Many times it proves that we love what we do. 

Do we do what we do to be recognized and receive awards and adoration?  Some do.  Some will do anything to get the attention.  Have you seen folks with so many trophies, plaques, medals, certificates, and other recognitions that they seem almost bored with the whole process?  

But look at what the Apostle Paul says: "Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, AS UNTO THE LORD NOT FOR PEOPLE."  Hmmm....so does that mean our hard work, dedication, and continued service will go unnoticed?  Not by a long shot!  Everything we do is noticed....by God!  People will snub you, they will ignore you, they may even take credit for YOUR hard work.  But God never does!  

What would you rather have: a house full of dusty trophies and awards or to hear God tell you, into eternity, "Well done My child. Well done!"?

Are You Afraid To Live?

Do all you can to live a peaceful life.

Take care of your own business,

and do your own work as we have already told you.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 

I'm not a fan of politics. I'm not a fan of LOUD either.  Yet they seem to go hand in hand, don't they?  "I may be wrong, but MY OPPONENT IS WORSE!"

When did we get the idea that LOUD meant correct?  Solomon said, "A quiet answer defuses anger, while a sharp tongue kindles a tantrum" (Proverbs 15:1).  We encounter this every single day, don't we?  People who believe that talking over you makes them right....or does it?  My thought is simple: If you feel you must talk over me (and drown me out) then you're just full of hot air.

Have you noticed how people seem to enjoy conflict and drama?  We are NOT afraid to yell right into another person's face.  We are not afraid to make a scene.  What we seem to be afraid of is being courteous!  What we fear is allowing someone who might disagree with us actually speak!  What we fear is being quiet!

One of the things I like to do when I get to teach is to insert periods of silence.  The Psalms had the word SELAH which, I was taught, means "stop and ponder."  When these periods of silence are presented, it only takes a few seconds before the uncomfortable shifting begins and the cellphones come out.  Quiet makes us uncomfortable!

One of the things I was taught in the Army was to listen to the sounds of the birds, bugs and animals.  If they go quiet, something is wrong.  So now, I have learned that quiet scares the wits out of most people.  

Rather like the notions of:

     Living a peaceful life (getting along with others)

     Taking care of your own business (without making a scene or making it all about your drama)

     And doing your own work!

The longer I live, the more I see how we are just bound and determined to live in direct conflict with the instructions God has given us. 

"I'm Better Than You!"

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

~Matthew 6:5-6

I admit it, I have never been what one might consider "a stand out".  I wasn't an exceptional athlete.  In fact, I have the distinction of being so "graceful" that I actually fell up a tree from across the yard (the insurance representative had to have it explained numerous times).  I tried and wanted so much to be the best at something, yet every time there was always someone better.   

You see, I had become entangled in the game of "Measuring Up" whereby I would compare myself to others and when someone was better than me at something, I would be discouraged, frustrated, and didn't want to do that activity anymore.  

We compare ourselves to other all the time, don't we?  

"Am I best looking one here?" 

"Do my clothes look the best?"  

"Am I driving the nicest car?"  

"Is my job the most impressive?"

"Do I have enough degrees from the right colleges?"

"Do I have the best resume?"

All the superficial things that don't really matter!  We become like the hypocrites Jesus told us NOT to become.  We want people to look at us, hear us, envy us!  And we get annoyed if that doesn't happen.  Because, after all, what others think is most important.....right?  I'm not talking about the occasional recognition.  That keeps us motivated to push on to do better.  I'm talking about those who strive so hard to be publicly known and envied. Look at what Jesus says about such people, "That is ALL the reward they will ever get." Their brief time in the spotlight is all the reward they will ever get.

Here's a Point To Ponder: God loves you!  He loves the you that He created!  You cannot earn anymore of His love my being in the spotlight.  All of our trophies, certificates, degrees, and awards will not cause God to love us even the slightest bit more. You cannot lost any of His love when the spotlight is off you. If you fail at every single thing you ever attempt, God still loves you enough to have sent Jesus to die in your place.  

Jesus didn't call us to be a superstar...He called us to be servants!

 In God's family, all of His children are His favorites!  

    

Carpe Momentum

They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He is calling you.” He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied, “Rabbi, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.
~Mark 10:46-52

Okay, okay.....today's passage is a little bit longer than the others, but there's a reason for that.  

Bartimaeus was blind.  Every morning, he would find his way to his spot where he would spend his day calling out to passersby for the things he needed to survive another day (food, water, money).  Day after day he would do this.  And this day had begun just like every other day, so he went through the motions...just like every other day.  

Then he heard a crowd coming.  He heard the name of Jesus.  He had heard of Jesus and the miracles He could do.  And Bartimaeus KNEW that THIS was the moment he had to grab!  THIS was the moment he had been waiting his entire life to arrive.  THIS was the moment!  So he began to call out to Jesus....And he kept calling.  People who were part of the "in" crowd told him to shut up, because a celebrity like Jesus had to time for a blind beggar nobody like Bartimaeous.

But Bartimaeus knew THIS was his opportunity.  So he called out even louder: "SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!"  You'd think with all the crowd noise Jesus wouldn't be able to hear one person's voice above the others.  But, like the woman who worked her way through the crowd to just touch the hem of His cloak, Jesus knew and heard Bartimaeous' cry for mercy. And called for Bartimaeus to come to Him....Notice that Jesus didn't go to Bartimaeus but called for Bartimaeus to come to HIM.

It's also interesting that the Scripture is very specific to tell us that Bartimaeous threw off his cloak before coming to Jesus.  His cloak was, most likely, his only possession of any value.  It was a blanket at night against the cold and protection from the sun during the day. Yet when Jesus called, Bartimaeus threw it aside to come to Jesus.

Then Jesus, KNOWING that Bartimaeus was blind, asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"  Why would Jesus ask this?  Bartimaeus could have asked for ANYTHING at this point, and I believe Jesus would have given it to him.  Bart could have asked for a endless wealth and a host of servants to cater to his every whim so it wouldn't have to do anything for himself. He could have....but Bart KNEW this was the moment he had to choose wisely.  So he told Jesus, "I want to see."  And in that moment....the moment that Bartimaeus had been waiting for all his life....he could see!

When we cry out to Jesus, do we expect Jesus to come wave a wand over us and POOF we get what we want?  Or do we hear Him call to us and ask us 'What do you want Me to do for you'?  

Are we willing to throw off the things WE hold precious so we can come to Jesus or do we want to hang on to them because they are more precious?

Jesus reminds us to SEIZE THE MOMENT!  Don't wait!