The Doxology and Psalm 16:2.

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Luke 18. The story of the blind man healed by Jesus on His way into Jericho (Luke 18:35; 19:1).*

The Mind of the Spirit stirred the thoughts of the spirit of my mind: yesterday I wept that so few of us hear, and today, I find myself weeping that so few of us see:

Luke 18:38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

The blind man knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of David. While Jesus was not at this time presenting Himself publicly as the Messiah, many recognized Him, and unless they were devils, He accepted the acknowledgement (Luke 4:34-35).

When the crowd tried to get the blind man to be quiet, “he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:29). Jesus heard him, stopped, and commanded that he be brought to Him (Luke 18:40). Jesus healed His insistent petitioner (Luke 18:41-43).

Along the still waters, I reflected on the insistence and persistence of the blind pleader. The crowd tried to shush him, but he persisted and raised his voice over the crowd. He did not cower to the crowd. His need was great, and so he would greatly plead his cause. He insisted and persisted, unable to see where Jesus was, but trusting that Jesus could hear and see Him, he cried with a loud voice, heedless of those who tried to shush him. Selah!

I thought of how easily we are distracted from our pursuit of Him. How ready we are to withdraw into the “crowd,” to subdue our felt need of Him to our greater sensitivity to the opinions of those around us.

We have many examples showing us that Jesus responds to insistent, persistent faith: remember the woman who broke all decorum, bringing to Him an alabaster box of expensive ointment, heedless of the disapproving glares, gestures, and even condemnation of those in the room (Luke 7:37). Jesus rewards bold faith, and such faith is often born in a heart of great need, or great love.

I wondered sometimes why the Spirit recorded so many healings of ears and eyes. We have a great need to hear and to see. He said to His disciples: “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” (Matthew 13:16). He repeatedly spoke of this great need as the very basis for hearing and understanding His words (Eyes & Ears: Matthew 13:15-16; Mark 8:1; Ears: Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; see Revelation 3:18; Eyes: Matthew 9:30; Luke 10:23; John 9:15; 12:40). OH, I need to hear, and I need to see. I cry out to thee, O LORD: heal my deafness and my blindness.

Have you noticed that being mute is directly connected to being deaf (Mark 7:31-37; 9:14-29; Matthew 12:22).

Devils are in this business of causing deafness, blindness, and dumbness (Matthew 12:22).

We cannot speak God’s Truth if we can’t see it or hear it. Seducing spirits infect our spirit with doctrines of devils that dim our eyes and ears (1 Timothy 4:1-4). This is the importance of fervency in our prayers (James 5:16). The blind man was fervent, and therefore insistent and persistent.

The key to fervency is felt need and/or felt love. The blind man felt deeply his need for sight. The woman with the alabaster box felt deeply her love and gratitude for Jesus’ love and forgiveness. Lord, help us see our need. Imagine the silliness of the man who “felt” the “need” to check on a piece of ground he bought, and did not feel the need to follow Jesus (Luke 14:18). We are like that man more than we would care to confess. Imagine Jesus reproving us: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4-5).

In the valley, I was reminded of how perfectly Jesus provided the cure, the remedy, the correction, and the protection against any assault on our senses by this world that would dull our eyes and ears: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, I confessed my great need to hear and see so that I may speak! I begged He would “help my unbelief,” and today I cried to Him to let me see clearly as His Spirit guides (John 16:13), and to hear distinctly that precious voice speak (John 10:27). He anointed my head with His oil, filled my cup with His grace, and bid me follow Him into the harvest. Goodness and mercy followed close!

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

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[* This is not a parallel account of the story of His healing the two blind men as He departed Jericho (Matthew 20:29-34; and Mark 10:46-52).]