Blind Trust

As of late, I’ve been coming across my written prayers from years ago. Some which contain answered prayers that I am currently walking in now. Some in which I am still petitioning for. How time flies! You look back and realize just how much you’ve been through with the Lord. From the prayers and tears, to the worship and surrender, fasting and all those intimate moments of praise. After a while, walking with Jesus, becomes such a natural way of life.  I find it both humbling and spiritually necessary to take a moment and really reflect on things that have become distant memories. From the moment God saved you to the moments in between, up until now. The many pains He’s healed, secrets He has shared with you, the seasons of seclusion with Him, mountain top moments and even the valleys you never thought you’d escape. Soon, you come to the great realization that it has always been the Lord carrying you and pulling you through. Even when He was unknown to you.

Flipping through the pages of those notebooks, I was taken back to those moments of vulnerability and disparity to see the hand of the Lord to move. Today, I am a witness of how He acts for those who wholeheartedly depend on Him. Those who aren’t afraid to cry out to Him without abandon. Oh how mighty the Lord shows Himself to be for those who recognize the abundant need for His mercy + more. If there was one person who personally knew the blessing in vulnerability and persistence, it was Bartimaeus, also known as Blind Bartimaeus. (By now, you know that I’m good for giving nicknames, so we’ll just call him Bart.) Bart not only being blind, but also a beggar.

Mark 10:47-48 recalls, “When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

This amazes me. That a man who possessed a physical limitation and financial lack; all which banned him from a normal life in society, did not call out for Jesus to heal his physical ailment, rather his spiritual one. He asked Jesus for mercy. Something we all need, even on our best day. And yet sadly, some of lack the humility to even realize it. At times, we have the audacity to perceive seemingly bad things as God’s punishment, rather than His mercy. His word tells us that it is because of this very mecry from the Lord, that we are not consumed. It is His mercy that did not allow that situation to take you out. It is His mercy that takes the ugliest of things and makes it beautiful. Blind Bart recognized this spiritual truth, without physical sight. What’s more is that he publicly professed Jesus as his Savior as the term “Son of David”, speaks of the Messiah that would come to save Israel -and ultimately the world. I wonder how Bart came to this revelation when he hadn’t even seen the miracles of Jesus. Yet somehow, this exchange shows his faith being bigger than those who had actually witnessed the power of Jesus.

Bart inspires me to possess his same unapologetic posture of belief. He did not need the validation of man and it becomes obvious when he only became louder as they tried to silence him. I admire Blind Bart so much for that. I believe he came to the actualization that most of us should be compelled to. That after all these years, what did man do for him? Furthermore, what could man do to him when he was in the very presence of the Messiah? Because of this, he risked how he’d be perceived, in order to attain mercy from the only One Who could give it. The only One with power to save. May we too, disregard the opinions of man for the hope we possess in Jesus Christ. He is the only One worthy of aiming to please. So cry out. Let your worship be real and your testimony be loud because being bound by the fear of man and people pleasing could cost us our breakthrough.

Blind Bart refused to let his breakthrough pass him by due to mere men. And because of this, Jesus vindicated Bart in front of the very people who had tried to discourage him from the Lord. Instead of Jesus answering Bart directly, He instructed those who’d attempted to quiet Bart to “tell him to come here.” I just love Jesus. Romans 10:11 tells us that “Those who believe in Him will never be put to shame.“ We see the evidence of that truth here in Bart’s account. Sis, Jesus defends those who believe in His power. Cling to the hope and promises of the Lord. No matter what it looks like. No matter if like Bart, there’s a crowd against you. God will certainly honor your faith in Him before those very people. You would not believe the number of people, who out of ignorance spoke again some of those written prayers in my notebook. We must be women who faith our way through the noise of people and sometimes even self and instead follow the voice of the Lord.

As the crowd of people relayed Jesus’s message for Bart to “come here”, verse 50 says, “Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.” But what you may not realize is that Bart threw off his old identity before any healing even took place. See, his coat identified his position as a beggar. So him throwing it off was a huge act of faith. He realized that if Jesus was calling him, he no longer needed to cling to his old identity. In Christ, we are made new. What are some things we need to throw off as Jesus calls us to Himself? Please know, that certain things, habits, mindsets and people cannot go where Jesus is calling you. The question is, will you throw it off??

I believe it’s Bart’s surrender, vulnerability and humility that ignited Jesus’s response and the following course of events. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.” (Mark 10:51-52)

Our good friend Bart, did not hold back in asking for what he wanted from our great Savior Who inquired of his need. That is because he knew Who He was approaching. He came to Jesus with an awareness that He is indeed the King of Kings. God is not just some homie. God is not dope. God is so much more than that. He is holy, set apart. He is all powerful. He is our everything. He deserves it all. Even Blind Bartimaeus wasn’t blind to this.

As I read this account, it brought me back to a place of further remembrance that all of those desperate prayers to the Lord, that I’d forgotten about, had become the starting point to my biggest breakthroughs. But I recall not merely asking from a place self, rather a place of dependency. Like Bart, I knew it would only be by the work of the Lord. And He did not permit me to be disappointed even when others did not understand. Have you concluded that if Jesus does not do it, it will not get done? Have you surrendered your striving for faith? The very faith that ignited Jesus’s healing power towards Bart is the same healing power He wants to release towards you. May this account encourage us all to intentionally chase after Jesus. Unapologetically.

Bart’s testimony ends beautifully. After his restored sight, Jesus frees Bartimaeus to “go”. Bart’s response is admirable and I pray it be our very response for the rest of our lives. That is: Bart followed Jesus. Our Almighty God has great things in store for us but after we attain it, will we take the blessing and go? Or will we resolve to follow Him down this road called life? Please know that He is here. Call out to Him today. Don’t grow weary, keep believing and in due season you will find yourself walking in answered prayers!

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending us a Savior, Your Son Jesus. Jesus, thank You that when we call on You and believe, we will not be put to shame. Forgive us for the times of our unbelief. Reignite our faith, humility, vulnerability and devotion towards You. Release us from the fear of men and the bondage of people pleasing. Lord, we believe what You have said concerning us. May we live to please You. Create in us a clean heart and a steadfast spirit, O God. Make us courageous and unapologetic in our faith. Vindicate us in the sight of those who have despised us because of our faith in You. Today, we cry out that we need You, Jesus. Help us and send Your Holy Spirit to invade our lives, God. Give us a fresh anointing to persist in prayer and may our outcome be like Bartimaeus’s: answered prayers and the privilege of following You!

In Jesus’s matchless name, amen.