Devotional:

“27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.” — Matthew 9:27-31

There are four important things I’d like to point out here.

One, the blind men knew who Jesus was. So, we can conclude that they had followed and listened to Him long enough to recognize His voice.

Two, they called Jesus the “Son of David.” Up to this point, only the demons had called him that. These men were devout Jews who knew their Scripture. Jesus was a descendant from the house of David and 2 Samuel chapter seven, promised David the Messiah would be of his offspring.

Three, Jesus asked if they believed He could heal them. He wanted to hear them proclaim their faith out loud.

Four, Jesus once again asked them not to tell anyone about what happened. The men disobeyed Him and went and spread the news all over the district. So, these blind men had just received the gift of sight from Jesus and turned right around and disobeyed Him without a second thought. Sound familiar?

My eyes have been getting significantly worse over the past two years. It started around age 45, and I’m almost 47 now. This is very new to me because I have always had perfect vision. But now my eyes get tired quickly, I have to take breaks from the computer, I get headaches and it takes forever for my eyes to adjust in the morning. It’s not terrible yet, but it is enough to be a distraction and very frustrating for me. And I have readers all over the house.

I went to the eye doctor a few weeks ago and really hoped there was something they could do for me. I’ve heard of these eye drops you can use, which seems weird, but worth a shot! I’ve heard of progressive contacts that your brain eventually adjusts to. I was even willing to entertain the surgery route, but apparently, there is no cure for old age.

So, I went home with a very expensive pair of progressive readers that supposedly could be worn all day versus taking them on and off constantly. And guess what? I still wear my $5 readers. And I have realized I can go without them most of the day if I don’t start with them in the morning. I got so used to putting them on as soon as I got in front of my computer or journal because it was just easier than struggling to see so early. I just have to be patient, let my eyes wake up and adjust and most of the time, unless it’s something like a medicine bottle, I can go without them.

I only tell this story because sometimes, when I read about all the miracles Jesus did, the recurring theme is desperation. Everyone had severe and significant needs with no other options. People were diseased, possessed, blind, deaf, mute, paralyzed and even dead!  

I’ve never really felt that kind of desperation, my life, in general, is pretty great. I have a wonderful family, wonderful friends and good health overall. My eyesight problem is so minor and only what every other middle-aged human on the planet goes through. So, I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me sometimes to relate to these miracles.

In fact, I even hesitate to bring my minor issues to God because I don’t think it’s important enough to bother Him. Asking for my almost perfect vision to be restored back to perfect isn’t quite the same as these two desperate, fully blind men asking for a miracle. Why would Jesus bother with me when there are such greater needs out there?

But that is not how we are to view our heavenly Father. When we decide what to bring and what not to bring to Him, we limit His presence, knowledge and authority in our lives. The box we put God in is just another way of saying “I’ve got this; I don’t need you.” Because when things are going well, we come to Him less. There’s no desperation, therefore, no reason to seek after Him. We need to feel desperate for Jesus all the time, not just when things seem hopeless!

 A baby only knows a mother’s voice because of the constant closeness for 10 months and listening to her laughter, cries, heartbeat and breath. We must stay close to Jesus, it is the only way to recognize His voice when He answers our cries!

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” — James 4:8

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” — Hebrews 11:6

My extremely minor eyesight issue is nothing compared to the two blind men that day. But it is important to me, and no pain, hurt or problem is too small to bring to Jesus.

God cares for what burdens us and wants us to bring everything to Him, no matter what it is. The worst thing we can do is let our ideal circumstances keep us from a relationship with Jesus. Part of that closeness comes from bringing our burdens to Him. He wants to hear all of our prayers. Specific prayers that matter to us. He wants us to go to Him with everything, full of faith, that He is in charge of our blessings and sorrows.

Go to God today with specific prayers and praises. Call them out loud, let your Heavenly Father carry your burdens and let Him share in your blessings.

God, I thank you that no matter what burdens I bring, it is always the most important thing to You. Remind me of that daily, so I never stop coming to You for the small things and the big things. I love You and thank You for every blessing in my life. Amen