Mark 8:22–25 – And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

THEME OF THE DAY. HIS WORK IS NOT ALWAYS IMMEDIATE. All of us want at least two things in the Christian life; spiritual growth in Christ and fruitfulness for Christ. And I would say we all want it fast; like now, like instantaneous, like immediate, like no waiting time. Nothing wrong with these desires. In fact, something would be really wrong if these desires were lacking in our lives. But here is where we often struggle. When we are going through tough times in life and don’t understand what God is doing, we find great comfort in these familiar verses found in the book of Isaiah – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). These verses also apply in the process of God refining us into the image of His Son or spiritually growing us. And they apply in God’s work of making us fruitful for His glory.

In today’s scripture, Jesus heals a blind man, but there is a twist in this miracle by our Great Physician. It was progressive. Yes, a progressive miracle. Our Lord did not heal the man immediately. In many healings of our Lord, His touch on the sick or their touch of Him resulted in an immediate cure. Not in this case. Jesus did heal, but it was over a period. Granted the time was short, but it wasn’t instantaneous. In this account is an important spiritual lesson for us who desire growth in the Lord and fruit for the Lord, with both occurring right now. And the lesson? God develops His children and equips them for His work over time, not with a sudden “zap” of spirituality and fruitfulness. So, for us impatient types, what do we learn to keep us from discouragement and perhaps irritation when we don’t see what we want to see spiritually when we want to see it? Two things . . .

God is the Potter and we, the clay (Isaiah 64:8). God is the Master, we, the servants. God is the Discipler, we, the disciple. God is in the position of authority, we, in the position of submission. Often, the Lord tests us by calling upon us to wait upon Him. In the testing, when He delays acting as we desire, we are tempted to complain and rebel. Yet, few things do the deep work of building submission in us better than learning to wait upon Him. As He delays, we slowly but surely experience spiritual growth in the Fruit of the Spirit such as patience and self-control; things we would not learn if His work was instantaneous.

The other lesson to take away from today’s action of Jesus healing the man over time is that of confidence in the Lord’s work despite the delay. Not only will we learn patience waiting on Him, but we will develop childlike confidence in Him. Why? Because what the Lord starts, the Lord finishes. We are told, “He that began a good work in you will complete it in the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). God will not abandon us or His work in us. It would deny His character and betray His promises if He didn’t finish what He started in us. Relying on this truth will equip us to be fruitful for Him as we learn to walk with Him whose ways and thoughts are different than ours.

God is at work. Sometimes, like being justified, His work is immediate. Sometimes, like spiritual growth and spiritual fruit bearing, it is not but rest in Him as the Potter and the One at work. He is doing all things well in us and through us.

PRAYER: “Lord, I praise You for Your work in my life; the immediate and the not so fast.”

QUOTE: “God does His work in us according to His timing, not ours and He knows what is best.”