LUKE 18:35-43 – “As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.  And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant.  They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”  And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”  And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.”

THEME OF THE DAY: THE REWARD OF PERSISTENCE.  The blind man in today’s scripture is quite the teacher.  He provides for us by way of example a powerful truth to be applied in our walks with the Lord.   The lesson is the reward of persistence. Let’s unfold the story . . .

A blind man sat alongside a road begging.  We don’t know how long he was there but being blind and dependent on people for his livelihood likely means a good amount of time.  The day was just like any other day except he heard an out of the norm crowd buzzing by him.  With curiosity, he asked what was happening and the response was “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”  Now things are changing for him.  Evidently the blind man heard of Jesus and His miracles of healing, and hope begins to rise in his heart.  He cries out for Jesus – “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  but he is rebuked by the passing crowd.  Refusing to be silenced, he intensifies his cries for the Lord, and he is heard.  Jesus stops and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” The man answers, “Lord, let me recover my sight” and the compassionate Lord grants his request, and the man becomes a follower of Jesus.

The reward of his perseverance was sight.  He refused to let anything or anyone keep him from Jesus. He knew his only hope was Jesus, and nothing would stop him from getting close to the Lord.  His perseverance was called faith by Jesus, not because of the effort, but of the trust in Him that his perseverance pointed to.

How persistent are we in seeking the Lord? It may not be for literal healing from blindness but what about experiencing a closeness to Him?   Do we refuse to let circumstances and people hinder our pursuit of Him?  Maybe we aren’t growing in spiritual intimacy with Him because our efforts in seeking Him are not “of the whole heart type” of seeking?  Remember what He promised – “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12-13).

We are as close to the Lord right now as we choose to be. He has promised the greatest reward possible of persistence in seeking Him – Himself.  May we so value the reward of perseverance that we are found to be a people seeking Him with all our being.

PRAYER:  Father, grant me a persistence in seeking You knowing the reward will be Yourself.

REFLECTION: God reveals Himself to those who seek Him with all their hearts and strength.