Do you believe?

So, I may have bitten off more than i can chew. I’m a little hyper focused when it comes to getting my walk in daily. I plan it out the day before. Know when i’m going to go. checking the weather, etc. Problems arise when pain is elevated and takes me more time to move in the morning. Or, as was the case yesterday, the pouring deluge of rain prevented me. Normally, I’ll walk in a little rain or snow or cold or heat, but the skies opening up is not for me. Anyway, I set a goal at the beginning of the month of how many miles I walk. The number was too much. I wasn’t going to get there.

So I changed my goal. Did I think I could meet my goal at the beginning of the month? yep. Then life happens and weather and pain and we adjust. However, the mental gymnastics I needed to reassure myself that a new goal was just fine took some time. At the root of this, I think, is something I have been told about fibromyalgia, if I keep moving, I will get better. Do you hear what is behind this? It’s all up to me.

If I do this, or eat that, or take this, then healing will come. I. If i don’t do x,y, z, then i won’t get better. Where is my Jesus in this? There is no Bible verse that says Jesus helps those who help themselves. The gospels aren’t full of people being healed because of all the things they have done. This isn’t the gospel of Christ at all. The good news of Christ Jesus is what HE has done. Who HE is.

And so I find myself entrenched in Matthew 9, two blind men are following Jesus. Their first plea is not heal us, but have mercy. Before I share the verses, I want to give you the definition of mercy.

Merciful (Adjective, and Verb, to Be), Mercy (Noun, and Verb, to Have, Etc.):akin to A, No. 1, signifies, in general, "to feel sympathy with the misery of another," and especially sympathy manifested in act, (a) in the Active Voice, "to have pity or mercy on, to show mercy" to, e.g., Mat 9:27; 15:22; Vine’s dictionary

Come, Lord Jesus, sit with me. Have compassion on me. Notice me hurting. This is the cry of the two blind men, and if I’m honest, it’s my cry as well.

“As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David! ” When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this? ” “Yes, Lord,” they answered Him. Then He touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith! ” And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly, “Be sure that no one finds out! ” But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole area.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭27‬-‭31‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/72/mat.9.27-31.HCSB

Do you believe I can do this? Ahhhh. The question pierces our hearts. Jesus walks by and they follow. Jesus enters a house and the men approach Him. Then he engages. Up until this point in their lives, these blind men had no reassurance that sight would be restored. That is, until Jesus walks by.

The previous story of the woman with 12 years of bleeding ends with Jesus saying, ‘Have courage, daughter,’ he said. ‘Your faith has saved you.’ Your faith. ‘If I can JUST thought his robe, I’ll be made well.’

Or the story of the father in Mark 9. Jesus said to him, ‘If you can? Everything is possible for the one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do believe, help me in my unbelief.’ Mark 9:23-24 HCSB

Or the man with leprosy in Matthew 8:2, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ HCSB

Or the father begging for the life of his son in John 4:46-54. Jesus tells him, “‘Your son will live.’ So he himself believed, along with his WHOLE household.” HCSB

I could go on and on. Jesus has these encounters with people who had faith. There is the complicated story of the gentile woman who begs Jesus for a miracle for her daughter. Here’s the part that I want to focus on..Matthew 15:28 HCSB. “Then Jesus replied to her, ‘Woman, your faith is great. let it be done as you want.” Nobody else receives this accolade. The centurion is close.

I want that faith. I want to remember and know, he is able. He can heal. I don’t have a neat tidy, and I was healed moment to end with today. I just have much to ponder and pray. Remember and hold dear. Know He heals.

I’ll end with George Mueller’s faith and story. I’d encourage you to read. https://www.mullers.org/downloads/Museum/Story%20of%20George%20Muller.pdfGeorge Mueller