On the last working day before leaving for a two-week vacation, I quickly realized how much I still needed to take care of in the office and began to complain. There were emails to answer, phone calls to return, work assignments to hand off, and meetings to attend.
I kept looking at the clock as each hour slipped away. Time just sped by so fast. I regretted having started working so late in the day. Overwhelmed, I went down to my car to pray for more faith that things would turn out all right. I did not want to worry about work while on vacation.
I stopped complaining, got to work, and managed to get home in time to finish packing. I even arrived early for my flight.
In Mark 10, Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, wasted no time complaining about his situation. He did not blame God for his blindness and the suffering he endured. And he did not lose faith that Jesus could restore his sight. As soon as Bartimaeus heard Jesus was near, he cried out to get his attention. He wanted a miracle for himself from the miracle man he heard so much about from those around him.
Why did the blind beggar have such faith and hope in Jesus, while the wealthy and well-educated Jewish leaders had only distrusted him? Is there something about being successful and popular that separates us from Jesus, making it more difficult for us to exercise our faith?
If we believe we do not need God, we will overlook his action and love in our lives, swapping faith for power and success, choosing to abandon the source of true power and success in our lives: our Savior.
Let us exercise more faith in him than in ourselves. Our Savior wants us to come to him with a humble, joyful, and especially faithful heart like the blind beggar, Bartimaeus. With sincere faith in our Savior, we receive the gift of grace, the gift of miracles, and the gift of healing to see again.
Lord, please give me the grace of faith to see you working in the everyday duties and challenges of life. Let my faith and actions glorify you and help bring others into your fold. Amen.
Throughout This Day: God has faith in us. Let us honor our Lord with sincere faith and trust in him today in return.
Photo Credit: Aliyah Jamous on Unsplash