He never saw a flower, or a sunset, or a sunrise.  He never saw his mother's face or his father's eyes.  He never saw.  He was blind since birth.  And then one day, Jesus walked by and healed him.  Just like that.   And he could see.  He's the guy who, when questioned about Jesus by the religious leaders said, "All I know is once I was blind, but now I see".   All he knew was the absolute power of Almighty God in his life.  

So, the disciples, assuming that some kind of family  sin had caused such suffering, asked Jesus the WHY of the man's blindness.    Isn't that so much like us?  When we are suffering.. or we see suffering.. we ask God "why?" To which Jesus replied, (my paraphrase) "He was born that way so that his life could give glory to God when he was healed." 

WHAT?????????????????????  God allowed a little baby to be born blind?  To live a life of being made  fun of by the cruel remarks of other kids?  To NEVER see, just so one day Jesus could heal him?   Isn't that a little MEAN????  (No disrespect intended, Lord, just in case You can also read people's blogs...)    But seriously, this man went through a life time of suffering just so he could be a Bible story?    Yes.  And so did Jesus.   During one of my whiny times in life.. (there have been many) I was trying to be stoic about my "trial" (whatever is was) and I was just trying to discover the reason I was suffering (I use the term loosely)  asking "Why Lord?  What are you trying to teach me?  What is the reason this is happening?" and it was like the Holy Spirit reminded me that Jesus suffering was always and only to bring glory to the Father... and for others.  He didn't gain salvation by dying.. we did.  He wasn't cut off... we were.   Sometimes, it's so selfish of me (us?) to always assume that our suffering is to whip us in to spiritual shape.   Jesus didn't suffer because He needed to be whipped in to spiritual shape - He suffered so that I wouldn't have to... He died so that I wouldn't have to..

Anyway.... the blind guy got healed.   But his life is more than just a Bible story.  His life tells us, unequivocally, that God can make blind people see.. Jesus story tells us the God can raise things from death and make them live again.  And the things that have plagued you.. and me.. for our whole lifetime can be changed in one instant by the power of God.  So that the people around us can point to our lives and say... "Wow, God can STILL do that.  He did it for her.. He can do it for me."    So  that people around us will know that God still makes a way in the wilderness.  That God can heal broken marriages -even if they've been broken for decades.  That God CAN resurrect the life of a prodigal son or daughter.   That God CAN provide our material needs.   The guy was blind from birth. 

It seems like God purposely wasted years of his life just to make a point.  Exactly.   The point being that God can do the impossible.  And if it seems like God has been wasting years of your life by not easing your suffering.....the blind man said it all..."All I know is that once I was blind but now I can see."   Once I was one thing... but now I am HEALED.

I never considered myself an addict, but this morning, I noticed that as I poured the first cup of HOT...strong coffee in to my cup, and I took that first sip....I was almost transported to another place.....So...It's that way every morning.  I always figured that since I don't NEED coffee any other time of day....I'm not addicted.  I guess I'm a morning coffee addict.  I confess.  Pray for me.   Pray that Costco's always sells Sumatra and/or Costa Rica blend coffee.  Thank you.  Or..

GUILT has become a dirty word.  We should never, according to what we see on the media and from some TV preachers... we  should never feel guilt.  Nope.. Just grace.. grace.. grace..  God's grace.  But... we cannot receive God's grace without a great big serving of guilt.  YUP.. I SAID GUILT.  God doesn't just GIVE grace to the world at large.  Actually, although it's hard to comprehend... God... who sent HIS only SON.. because He so LOVED the world... that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.    Yeah.. it's the whosoever that messes up our theory that God isn't serious about guilt and sin.   God has offered eternal life and forgiveness from sin to ANYONE who asks for it... ANYONE -WHOSOEVER BELIEVES.   BUT every day, His heart is broken because He watches multitudes of people die and enter eternal separation from Him...BECAUSE  whosoever does NOT believe DOES perish and DOES NOT HAVE everlasting life.  That's what we believe, folks, when we say we believe God's Word.   Therefore,  we need God's grace.. and the only way to get His grace is to feel our guilt.  We need to feel guilty that we are sinners and in rebellion... we need to feel guilty that we want our ways and not His... we need to feel guilty about pre-marital or adulterous sexual behavior... we need to feel guilty when we lie.. yup.. when we lie.. (remember the 10 Commandments).. we need to feel guilty when we have unforgiveness toward someone...we need to feel guilty when we don't honor our parents... or when we gossip.. or when we steal something from work or our neighbor.. GUILT... GUILT.... GUILT... Why?  Because it's wrong. Yeah.. there are things that are WRONG.   And when we feel guilt.. and conviction.. we should praise the Lord for allowing His Spirit to send it our way.... (it IS one of the functions of the Holy Spirit to CONVICT of sin.. I know that's so OLD fashioned.. yes.. that's what some people say about the Bible)..because

CONVICTION (e.g. GUILT)  

leads to

CONFESSION (as in TO God about the issue you're convicted about) 

which leads to

REPENTANCE (going in the OPPOSITE direction)

which leads to

GRACE

which is God's unconditional, unmerited, forgiveness for whatever we've been guilty of..  YUP.. which is the best feeling in the world... which makes us CLEAN and PERFECT and cleansed of a guilty conscience... what a deal.. what a deal..

GRACE needs GUILT.   Without guilt, none of us would plead for grace. Too bad guilt has become so unfashionable. 

I mean, sure I BELIEVE that Paul and his buddy, Silas who's only crime was that they believed Jesus was the ONLY way to God and had the nerve to talk about it....were arrested for that crime. 

And I BELIEVE that at midnight.. while they were in chains... they loudly PRAISED God and SANG SONGS to Him.  I BELIEVE it's the truth..because I believe every word in the Bible. 

I believe it's true.. but that was Paul and Silas.. of the FAMOUS Paul and Silas.. Right?  I mean, God doesn't expect me to sing if I'm ever in prison... does HE?   And furthermore people don't spend time in prison anymore.. we have religious freedom here.. And so what is the purpose of that story in MY LIFE?????  

I BELIEVE it.. but so what??? Well, it isn't a "so- what" story it's a "here's how" story.  It's an EXAMPLE of how a follower of Christ deals with prison chains.  It's an example of how I am to live when someone.. or some thing.. has put me in a place I don't want to be... and I can't figure out a way to get myself free.   

SO... I sing.  I praise Him. I trust that nothing happens to me without God knowing about it.  Sure, it's easy to write that today... right now... because it isn't midnight in my life... and I'm not in prison..  But.. I could be someday. 

Prison is anything that has me in chains that I don't have the strength to rescue myself out of.  And God put that story in the Bible to remind me that one of the ways I can escape these temptations is to praise Him while in chains.    People are in chains from sickness.. praise Him. People are in chains of guilt... praise Him.  People are in chains of depression.. praise Him.  People are in chains of addictions.. praise Him.  People are in chains of financial worry.. praise Him. What's the deal with the whole singing at midnight stuff? 

It seems like such simplistic Christianity to say those things.. to encourage myself to remember that God IS able to deliver... that God has allowed every thing - good and bad- for a purpose and to bring HIM glory through it..

and furthermore and evidently.........it works.  Find the story in the Bible.  If you can't find it... email me and I'll tell you where to look.   I admit, it's easy to write such things now... when I am NOT IN PRISON... but truth is truth.. and maybe somebody else is..

By the way, if you'd like me to post some prayer requests on this site.. I will... Anonymously if you prefer.