Don’t keep quiet

If Jesus asked you, “What do you want Me to do for you?” what would you say?

The challenging part, it would seem, is getting to the place where we can hear Him ask this question.

Like blind Bartimaeus—

Defined by his problem.

Sitting by the highway side.

Begging.

How long has he been in that state?

He too was a son of Abraham; a beneficiary of the covenant blessing of Abraham.

But here he was, sitting by as life went on, and dependent on the benevolence of others for survival.

How long has he been in that state?

What purposes could have been fulfilled had he not been held back by those challenges?

What might life have released to him then?

But the day came when he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

What was his response?

How would you have responded?

He did not keep quiet

Many told him to hold his peace and be quiet–

The same people who had defined him by and problem and watched as he say by the highway side, begging.

They told him to be quiet but he cried out the more for Jesus.

And he continued to cry out until Jesus stopped and sent for Him.

The same people who had told him to be quiet brought the good news to him.

“Be of good cheer”, they told him, “Rise; He calleth thee”.

Heaven is listening.

Heaven is watching.

Heaven is speaking.

We cannot be so influenced by the voices around us that we keep quiet when we should be crying out.

If you can get to the place where you can hear Jesus, God’s word assures us that we can trust Him to do His part.

And when you hear Jesus, what would your response be?

Blind Bartimaeus left everything behind and came to Jesus.

And when Jesus asked him that question he knew exactly what to say.

He didn’t tell Jesus about the problem. He didn’t complain about how much time had been lost. He didn’t cry about the hand life had dealt him. He didn’t talk about the people that had told him to keep quiet. He didn’t ask if it was God’s will for him to remain in that state.

“Lord, that I might receive my sight”, he told Jesus.

“And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way”. (Mark:10:52)

Jesus is passing this way today.

Don’t keep quiet.

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Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you. (Numbers 14:28)