Move!!!

Based on 2 Kings 7

It’s interesting to me how God frames some of His most amazing work in desperation. It’s like the darkness of life’s circumstances become the setting that allow His work to be showcased. That’s the way it is throughout the Scriptures, and poignantly so in this story.

Read it in your Bible or at http://www.biblegateway.com. (Check out 2 Kings 6:24-33 to get the background.)

Samaria, the capital of the renegade tribes of Israel, is besieged by an enemy; the people are dying from starvation, to the extent that a woman agrees to kill and eat her own child in order to live for one more day; the king has given up hope and instead of calling out to God, is looking for someone to blame, and God’s representative Elisha is the perfect target.

Desperation rules the day.

As desperate as it is within the city, where the city walls built to protect them have become the bars on their prison cell, outside the walls is a community of contagious people who aren’t even afforded the protection of living within the city walls. Excluded and cast off by the people in their community, they are open to attack by any and every enemy.

They have no control over the disease that has come upon them, no control over being rejected by others, and have accepted the reality that they are unfit for human contact, unwelcome, and unprotected from the enemy that surrounds them.

They are trapped, with no place to go.

What “un-[fill_in_the_blank]“ word describes your life?

What circumstances in your life have you feeling trapped?

But God is on the move.

Their point of desperation becomes God’s opportunity to showcase His activity.

What’s interesting when you stop and think about it is that these lepers don’t demonstrate much faith, as we tend to think of it. There is no record of them calling out to God, believing that He will intervene, counting on His character or His promises. They actually think that perhaps their enemies will be merciful to them.

Funny, isn’t it, how we long for God’s mercy and look for it in other places, while we are quick to accuse Him of not being merciful? But that’s for another time…back to the lepers.

Their actions are a simple act of survival, born out of the desperate nature of their circumstances. It’s a “something is better than nothing” attitude, an “anything is better than this” decision that prompts them to move.

What they don’t know in the moment is what the outcome will be. And so, their act of desperation becomes an act of faith. They choose to move, without visible evidence that God is anywhere in the picture.

What desperate circumstances have you feeling like your back is up against the wall?

What seems like the only way forward?

Do you dare to believe that God is somewhere in the mix, that He is the one moving, drawing you forward even if you can’t see Him past the enemy that blocks your view?

What they discover is that God is in the mix.

Their desperate circumstances, the very things that brought them to the point of deciding that now is the time to do something, is their doorway into discovering God’s power and provision, for them and for others.

Because God was on the move.

He used a sense of desperation to move the lepers forward. He used desperation, a fear of imminent danger and impending doom, to cause the enemy army to scatter.

The enemy uses desperation as a strategy to trap you, to immobilize you. God uses desperation as a tool to move you into the future He is creating.

What if God wants to use your feelings of desperation to get your attention, to open your eyes to see the situation in front of you from His perspective?

What if God wants to use your feelings of desperation to bring you to the end of yourself so that you’re ready to move beyond hopelessness into a place where you can discover His plan?

What if desperation is really the doorway to the future that God has planned?

An interesting thread in this story is the words of the prophet Elisha. As God’s representative, he dares to say out loud—and to the person in charge—that even in these desperate circumstances, God is at work.

His words frame the story:

Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says:…—v. 1

…as the LORD had said…And that is exactly what happened…—v. 16, 20

What words of hope and confidence is the Lord giving you in the midst of desperate circumstances?

Who needs to hear them?

Are you looking for God in the midst of the desperate situation that surrounds you?

Jesus said—

"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."—John 5:17. God is on the move.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."—John 16:33. There is hope for us when things are desperate.

Jesus’ words to Paul when he despaired, were—

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”—2 Corinthians 12:9. Jesus chooses to use desperate people who turn to Him in their weakness, and depend on His grace to keep moving forward. Look how he used Paul!

Move!!!

To view the worship celebration related to this Next Step, visit http://www.touchandchange.com/artman/publish/article_1595.shtml

Knocking Holes in the Ceiling

January 18, 2009

Based on Romans 4:18-21

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

In the movie The Fellowship of the Ring, there are some great scenes of Gandalf the Gray, a wizard, visiting the home of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit. Hobbits are small beings, resembling humans, who live in nicely furnished burrows dug into the sides of hills. Wizards, on the other hand, are tall and slim. Imagine then, Gandalf stooping to enter Bilbo’s dwelling, ducking under doorways and past chandeliers, as he follows Bilbo from room to room. It provides some humorous moments!

I sometimes wonder if that’s how God experiences it when we invite Him into our lives.

Where He wants us to expand our hearts, minds, and souls to grasp the wonder, mystery, and power of Him, we try to compress Him to fit into our pre-existing framework.

We don’t understand what He is doing, so we pray for Him to stop. When He doesn’t stop, we beg Him to stop. When He keeps going, we demand that He stop.

How do you respond when God bumps into something you’ve placed in your life that gets in the way of what He wants to do in you and through you?

Do you ignore it so that you won’t have to talk about it with Him?

Do you complain about Him touching your things?

Do you ask Him to stop?

Do you question His authority to move around freely within you?

Do you want Him to make Himself at home in you?

What if He knocks a few holes in the ceiling to let some daylight, some God-light, into your life?

What if He wants to rearrange your priorities?

What if He wants to throw out some of the trash?

What if He has a better idea?

What if He wants to rip the roof off of your house or tear it down completely before He begins rebuilding?

What if the rebuilding process goes on for months, years, or even decades?

What if God’s re-creation of your life is a lifelong process?

Is that what you signed on for when you invited Him in?

Thoughts from God—

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.—Isaiah 55:8-12

Allow God’s Spirit to roam freely within you. Let Him knock holes in the ceiling of your understanding and faith, so that He can reveal God’s truth to you and give you peace as He rearranges your life until God lives fully within you and you develop the very mind of Christ—

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.—John 14:26, 27

However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” [Isaiah 64:4]—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned... "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.—1 Corinthians 2:9-16

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!—2 Corinthians 5:17

I’m reminded of a Christian classic Your God is Too Small, by J. B. Phillips. And I wonder if God isn’t using the things that shake me so that I will come to know that He is the God of Abraham, the God who loves to knock holes in the ceiling of my life and do what I think can't be done!

To view the worship celebration related to this Next Step, visit http://www.touchandchange.com/artman/publish/article_1587.shtml

Do Angels Yawn?

Based on Matthew 19:16-22

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"

"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

"Which ones?" the man inquired.

Jesus replied, “'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"All these I have kept," the young man said.

"What do I still lack?" Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

What a waste! A young man who spoke to Jesus face-to-face, a man who had the opportunity to turn his life around. Yet he is known as the young man who went away sad, who chose his wealth and religious practices over truth and adventure.

It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Most of us think—and some even dare to say—“if God would just make Himself known to me, if He would just tell me what to do, then I would follow Him, then I would turn my life around, then I would move forward in life with confidence and assurance.”

But the problem isn’t with God and His communication. God has not hidden Himself. His truth is abundantly available to anyone who desires to know it.

Jesus repeatedly said, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (for example, in Mark 4:23).

The problem is with our hearts. We want to do rather than follow. To learn, to check tasks off our spiritual checklists, instead of taking the risk of stepping out in faith.

Which brings us back to the question “Do angels yawn?”

The question “Do angels yawn?” sounds like a deeply theological question. I confess, when I first heard it, I thought the question referred to the angels in heaven as they observed and proclaimed the glory of God in all His majesty.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.—Isaiah 6:1-4

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"—Revelation 5:11, 12

Angels, however, do more than worship God in heaven. Angels are charged to care for God’s people, to watch over us, to serve us and act on our behalf—

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”—Matthew 18:10, 11

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?—Hebrews 1:14

Angels are part of those watching us in heaven—

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Ephesians 3:10, 11

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…—Hebrews 12:1

So what’s your race looking like? Are you running? Do you know where the finish line is? Are you pursuing God?

How exciting is it for the angels watching your race? Is there anything for them to cheer about? Are they on their feet cheering you on right now?

Or are you satisfied with reading about the race? Stretching out, maybe even running in place, or practicing getting out of the starting block?

Are you satisfied with checking things off your spiritual checklist? Daily Bible reading, check. Prayer, check. Gave money to church, check. Don’t lie, cheat, or steal, check. Went to church, check. Remembered my mom’s birthday, check.

What would it take for your angel to have something to do? To actually have to go to work on your behalf?

To view the worship celebration related to this Next Step, visit http://www.touchandchange.com/artman/publish/article_1581.shtml

Count on It!

Based on Hebrews 11

What are you counting on in life? What do you think, hope, and believe will get you through? What is your firm foundation in life? What is most important to you, the thing you hold on to above all else?

One way to discover what is important to a person is to listen to how they talk. This same principle applies to reading and studying the Bible, so take some time to read Hebrews 11 in your Bible or at www.biblegateway.com (the link is found in the Web Steps list to the right). Look for repeated words or phrases as you read.

What did you discover as you read through the passage in Hebrews 11 for yourself?


Were you, like me, struck by the number of times you read the word faith and the phrase by faith?

I counted 23 uses of the phrase "by faith," plus another four uses of the word "faith" (v.1-Now faith is…, v.6-And without faith it is…, v.33-who through faith…, v.39-…commended for their faith…).

One thing I noticed was that each time the phrase "by faith" is used, it is followed (in every case but one) by a person’s name or a personal pronoun. It does not typically say “by faith problems disappeared” or “by faith circumstances changed” or “by faith life was easy and carefree.” Instead, the writer told the stories of people who lived by faith in the face of great challenges—people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and his parents, Rahab, and countless others, many unnamed—which leads me to wonder:

What would it look like if my name—or your name—followed the words “by faith”?
Would your story look like any of the people whose stories we read in Hebrews 11?

Each of these people had challenging situations that required them to exercise faith in God, to live their lives based on who they knew God to be, regardless of the difficulty before them. Many of their stories are found in Genesis and Exodus, if you want to look them up and get the details. The thread that ties them all together is found in the first few verses of Hebrews 11—

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for….

What do you think they hoped for?

What do you hope for when times are rough?

What kind of hope do these Scripture passages offer? What hope do they offer you in overcoming the challenges you face today?

No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.—Psalm 25:3

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.—Psalm 31:24

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.—Psalm 33:20

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.—Psalm 33:22

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.—Psalm 42:11

What is the source of the writer’s hope in Psalm 119:43, 74, 81, 119, and 147?

What do you do to find hope from this source?

What difference does it make in your life for you to find hope in this way? How does finding hope in this way increase your ability to live by faith?

Living by faith, being sure of what we hope for and confident of what we do not see, is not a one-time event; it is a way of life, a lifelong journey.

All these people were still living by faith when they died.—Hebrews 11:13

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."—Romans 1:17

How does faith relate to the lives of those who follow Christ? Faith gives us courage to live like who we are, people loved by God, able to draw upon His Spirit and reflect His transforming work in our lives, in the way we treat others, in the way we rise to challenges, in the way we walk through difficulties.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.—Galatians 2:20

What does it mean for you to live by faith in the Son of God?

How is your relationship with Jesus changing you, transforming you, giving you power to live a life of selfless love and sacrifice? A life of integrity and obedience? A life of humility and courage?


The writer of Hebrews speaks of many others who lived by faith, who counted on God, who counted on His character and His word, who counted on Him to see them through. Are you one of those?

Are you on the journey? Is it time to begin? What words would you like to be written about you? Do you trust Him enough to take the journey of faith? What will it look like for you to live by faith today, this week?

By faith (insert your name and write your story here)…

I Believe that Believe is a Verb

Based on James 2:14-19
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Do you believe that believe is a verb?

It’s more than just an intellectual question—and not just because of James’ comment about demons believing that there is one God, although that reminder stops me cold almost every time I read it! It’s an important question because it’s the kind of question that rattles around in our souls, refusing to find an answer that allows us to put it to rest once and for all.

Do you believe that believe is a verb?

It’s a really big deal, because it really is all about us—you, me, every person who claims to believe in Jesus Christ. Our individual and personal response to this question matters, because we are the body of Christ, we are His visible representation in the world, His face, His arms, His hands, His feet.

As Paul writes to groups of first century believers, he calls them to live in light of what they believe, to move beyond intellectual assent to living lives characterized by the reality of what God has done for them in Christ.

In Paul’s letter to the believers at Ephesus, he is direct and to the point—

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.—Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 1

Then he spends the rest of his letter explaining in detail what that looks like in their individual lives and in their relationships with other people.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul equates how we live our lives with worship, and tells us how important it is to allow God’s truth to reshape our perspective on life—

Therefore, I urge you, brothers [and sisters], in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.—Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 13, verse 1

As Paul writes to the Galatian believers, he points to the role of God’s Spirit in shaping us—

You, my brothers [and sisters], were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather serve one another in love….The acts of the sinful nature are obvious…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law….So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature….Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.—Paul’s letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 13, 16, 19, 22, 23, 25

In writing to the believers in Philippi, Paul calls them back to the realization of all that Christ has done for them and points to Christ’s example as the basis for living lives that place others above our own self-interest—

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose….Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus…—Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 1, 2, 5

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul urges believers to live in light of their identity in Christ—

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.—Paul’s letter to the Colossians, chapter 3, verse 12

Peter points believers to God’s power, encouraging and challenging believers with these words—

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness….For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is near-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.—Peter’s second letter to believers, chapter 1, verses 3, 5-9

So what about you?

Which of these passages from the first century do you need to hear today? It really is all about you. What you believe. Do you believe believe is a verb? Are you believing?

Believing flows from the inside out.

Live life based on what you say you believe—

1. Take actions that are consistent with what you believe
2. Take actions even when you aren’t sure of the end result
3. Take actions even when you don’t feel like it

Can You BELIEVE He Asked That?

Can You BELIEVE He Asked That?

Matthew 9:27-29
27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they replied.
29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";

Matthew 9 gives us a glimpse into the life-changing nature of a simple conversation. What started out as a conversation between Jesus and two men with an undeniable need resulted in restored sight and a new future for the men talking with Jesus. Because Matthew captured this conversation in his biography of Jesus, its impact echoes through the millennia and impacts us today. A conversation that brought physical sight for the initial hearers can bring us spiritual insight today.

It’s a short conversation. The men ask Jesus a question; Jesus asks them a question. They respond to His question; He responds to their question. Sometimes we think that it takes a lot of words—fancy, multi-syllabic words woven into eloquent speeches—to make a difference in someone’s life. Jesus had those kinds of words for people when the situation called for it. For these two men, though, the conversation was short, specific and straight-forward.

Although these men couldn’t see Jesus, they had heard about Him. They had heard of His compassion, His miracles, His healing. At last Jesus was nearby, actually within their range. Now was the time to act.

Their limitation does not keep them from following Jesus. Did they follow the sound of the crowd? Did they follow the sound of Jesus’ voice?

Their unmet need caused them to follow Jesus, to chase after Him, to call out for His attention. What compels you to call out to Jesus? What unmet need drives you to follow Him?

Notice that the men did not come to Jesus with their own plan, they came with their problem. Jesus didn’t have to talk them out of their own ideas about how to fix their blindness. They had figured out that the biggest problem they faced in life couldn’t be fixed with their own ingenuity or hard work. Plain and simple, they faced the fact that without Jesus intervening, they were stuck in their blindness.

They were way past asking “Why?” and way past playing the victim. They had moved past complaining and blaming, past anger at God for allowing this in their lives, past resignation to their lot in life. They didn’t have any solutions of their own; they just wanted God to intervene, and they were willing to humble themselves and ask for His help. They wanted to be better, to be whole, and to live life with all of its responsibilities and privileges.

They didn’t tell Jesus what to do, they simply asked for mercy. Mercy, receiving compassion and blessing that they desperately longed for but knew they couldn’t demand or control or manipulate God into giving them. Asking for mercy comes from remembering that God is God and that we are His people, His creation, that He doesn’t owe us anything, but maybe—just maybe—His character is such that He might have compassion on us at the point of our need.

What is the point of need in your life?

What characterizes your conversations with God about this part of your life? Anger? Bitterness? Resentment? Scheming? Resignation? Advice-giving? Or a realization that God, the God of all compassion, actually cares for you and listens to your cry for mercy?

Funny, isn’t it, that Jesus didn’t turn around immediately and answer them? Was He testing their hearts as He continued on, wondering if they would give up, if they really meant it that they wanted His help? The two men persevered, in spite of Jesus’ seeming lack of response. They knew that Jesus was the only one who could help them, so they kept following Him, all the way into a house. They didn’t give up.

What difficulties do you have to overcome in order to pursue Jesus? Doubts? Barriers? Questions? Resentment? Friends? Family? Poor lifestyle choices? Disappointment?

Just a few chapters earlier in Matthew 7, Jesus encouraged His listeners to persist in asking God to respond to their needs: 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

James’ advice is: 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
How do these verses renew your desire and determination to pursue God and God’s intervention in your situation?

God longs to reveal Himself to us and to answer our prayers. Yet here we see Jesus probing, testing to see if these men were ready for His answer.

Jesus tests their belief by responding to their question with a question, questioning the depth of their belief in His ability to help them. As God, didn’t Jesus know what was in their hearts? Why did He ask “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

Jesus’ question requires them to stop and examine what they believe, recognize who they are asking, and reflect on the moment and their expectations. I wonder if they paused, if they thought deeply, if there was a hush in the room.

Their answer to Jesus question is recorded; it needn’t have been. What would have been missing if Matthew had skipped their response, and gone straight to “Then he touched their eyes…” It’s not just about Jesus, it’s about relationship, about communication and connection. Their simple response is “Yes, Lord.”

What about you? Are you persistently seeking Jesus about the need in your life? Are you continuing to look to Him? Are you ready for Him to make a difference in your life? Are you ready for His answer, whatever form it takes?

In some cases Jesus healed with a word, in another case He healed blindness using a mud paste. Just before this incident, a woman was healed simply by touching the hem of Jesus’ clothing. In this case, His touch on their eyes brought sight to the blind. Can you imagine what it must have been like to open your eyes and have Jesus’ face be the first thing you ever see?

In what part of your life do you need Jesus’ touch? What difference would it make if you could see Jesus’ face clearly in the midst of your situation? How much do you long for His answer? Are you willing to put your faith in Him, not in yourself or others, for the answer to your problem?

Jesus’ response—to them and to us—is, “According to your faith will it be done to you.”

Finishing What You Started

Based on Hebrews 12:1-3
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (NIV)


Essential Information about FINISHING (verse 1)

Jeff mentioned that the race is marked out to keep us on track, not to trip us up. Each turn, each obstacle, each new challenge, all are designed to point us to Jesus, to cause us to look for Him even more than we already do.

What do the following verses say about God’s involvement in designing your race?

Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Acts 17:26-27
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.


What does your race look like? What are the circumstances of your life that cause you to turn to Jesus?

We’re encouraged to run with perseverance. Perseverance is “steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.”

What difficulties (large or small) are threatening to throw you off track right now? Where do you want to quit? What would it look like for you to choose to persevere?

Will you choose to accept these circumstances as part of God’s plan to cause you to turn to Him? Will you make the commitment to persevere?

Essential Information about THE RACE ITSELF (verse 3)

The race is tough. No question. Racing isn’t strolling. It takes determination, training, and effort. Take a look back just one chapter in Hebrews 11 if you want to read some stories of people who had to overcome difficulties in their race. They all kept their eyes focused on what was ahead of them.

Running the race can sometimes be so hard that we lose sight of the goal. Jeff spoke of a runner’s “kick,” that burst of untapped energy and resources that a runner taps into to make it through to the finish line. God’s purpose in our lives are for us to touch and change our world as we become more like Jesus. It’s in the midst of the challenges in our lives that others can see something different about us. But how do you keep going when the race gets tough?

One way is to draw strength from Scripture. Romans 15:4 tells us that “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” How familiar are you with the Bible? Where do you turn to in Scripture to find encouragement?

How do the following verses encourage you?

Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

A suggestion: Memorize one of the verses in this study to strengthen you and to find the encouragement that Romans 15:4 promises.

Essential Information about HOW TO RUN (verse 2)


Hebrews 12:3 is very clear about how we can keep going, how to run the race. We are to “fix our eyes on Jesus.”

Acts 17:27 says that when we seek God, when we reach out for Him, we will find Him because He is not far from us. Jesus is our running partner. How does the thought of Jesus running with you encourage you and strengthen you to run the race? What difference does that make in your ability to keep going?

Notice that fixing our eyes on Jesus is a choice we have to make, just as we have to choose to run the race. What are your eyes fixed on— yourself, the other runners, the crowd and how you look to them, your circumstances? Or are your eyes fixed on Jesus? What do you see when you look at Him, just some guy—or do you see your Savior, your Friend, your God, the Expert on running the race?


How much time do you spend talking with Him as you go about your day? Are you talking with Him about the difficulties in your life, asking for (and taking) His advice? Are you trying to run like He does? When you’re knocked down, are you reaching out for His hand to pull you back up? Are you letting Him set the pace?


Runners train to run, especially if they want to finish and finish well. They discipline themselves, they exercise. Hebrews 12:7 tells us to “endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons [and daughters]” and Hebrews 12:12-13 sums it all up—“Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ‘Make level paths for your feet…’” What are you doing to train yourself to run the race? What do you need to do to run better?

In this race, age isn’t an issue. In the Scriptures, children are held up as examples of faith; teenagers are encouraged to be an example to adults; all believers are called to be examples to a watching world; adults are told that even in old age they will still produce spiritual fruit and remain vital and vibrant. No matter what your age, your circumstances, your condition, you can be in the race.

So, how’s the race going? You’re being cheered on by a watching crowd. Run! Run hard! Run well!

—"perseverance." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 19 Aug. 2008. .