Scriptures:

Mark 10:46-52

This week we studied about faith, how our past hinders us and how we could over come our doubts and fears. Often times people; especially leaders tell others to just have faith. Make it sound easy but it’s not. However, if we could overcome our doubts and fears and apply faith, we will truly be living our best lives. 

But what is the definition of Faith?

Webster defines it as:

Belief and trust in and loyalty to God. Firm belief in something for which there is no proof. 

In Hebrews 11:1 it is define as:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

“Physical eyesight produces a conviction or evidence of visible things; Faith is the organ which enables people to see the invisible order.”

David Guzik

Faith is the substance of my hope, Faith makes what I’m hoping for a spiritual reality. Faith makes possible to see what am hoping for, it doesn’t contradict reasoning but it may go beyond it. 

Example:

I acknowledge that I am sick. But my hope is that by Jesus stripes I am healed. My faith is applied to make my hope of being healed a reality. 

I acknowledge I am broke, but my hope is that my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. My faith is applied to make my hope a reality. 

Very little details were given about Bartimaeus, besides the fact that he was the son of Timaeus and that he was blind. We do not know if he was blind since birth or if an incident occurred which brought him to become blind. Either way Jesus coming to town presents an opportunity for him to receive a healing and become whole. Bartimaeus realizing this, positioned himself in a position to meet Jesus when He leaves Jericho.

What faith did it take for Bartimaeus to do this being blind?

How does it feel to be blind?

Are we blind spiritual?

Types of Spiritual Blindness

Partial Blindness

This type of spiritual blindness says that you can see what God wants to do with your life, but its unclear at the time. So, in our uncertainty we tend to hesitate with going forward without clear understanding. We want clarity or confirmation, because we are to afraid to trust what God said since we can’t see what He is doing.

Blurred Vision

You see there is something in front of you that God wants you to have. But you’re unsure bout this whole spirituality and Christian thing. It all sounds crazy and doesn’t make sense. So I’ll stay complacent where I am cause either way I’ll be good. If it works, I’m Gucci. If it doesn’t work, I’m still Gucci but I’m in the middle. We feel God pulling on us to do more and have a relationship, but fear grips us to the point of making us doubt everything we know to be true. You have Blurred Vision.

Total Blindness

You don’t know what God is doing. He’s not saying anything, seems like He is not doing anything and feels like He just forgot all about you. It’s all dark, confusing and you don’t know where to begin. This type of blindness tends to make an individual shut down from doing anything and just simply give up or lose hope that things will ever get better. You are totally blind.

But I want to encourage you by stating, there was a time when I was just like that. Returning home after dropping out of college the first time and I felt like a failure. Things went from bad to worse when I felt everyone was against me and I didn’t know who to trust. So, I chose to shut down and just ignore everyone. I was totally blind. But, God took me from there to where He has me now. It was all a process to get me to see clearly than what I have ever seen before. And thats what He wants to do with you.

So, don’t let the missed opportunities of life eat at you. Yes you have some mistakes but those mistakes do not determine the outcome of your life, there is always hope, things can get better, but you have to take advantage of the opportunity when it comes around again. That’s what Bartimaeus had to do, he saw an opportunity to receive his healing and he seized the moment. He yelled out to Jesus in order to gain his attention and once he got it, he made his request known. His actions took an activation of faith. How did he know it was actually Jesus? What made him think that Jesus would actually do it? But the biggest question is, what did he have to lose??! Either way he loses nothing, but if he goes forward with trust Jesus, then he has the chance to gain everything! That should be our motto for this year, What do I have to lose in trust God??

Make your declaration, What do you have to lose?

Speak your decree, What do you have to lose?

And just like Bartimaeus, it will be by your faith that you receive. So, even when you can’t see what He is said, I just trust what He is doing.