From Blindness to Praise: A Faith That Inspires Others

How drawing near to Jesus transforms our lives and leads others to glorify God

To god be the glory

Our faith and desire to seek Jesus have the power to inspire and spur others on to praise God.

A wonderful example of this in the Bible can be found in the story of the blind beggar receiving his sight in Luke 18:35-43. As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the commotion of the crowd, he learned that “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” That’s when he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He was rebuked and told to be quiet by those who led the way, but he continued to shout, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then Jesus stopped and ordered that the man be brought to Him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man responded, “Lord, I want to see”. Jesus said, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” It was then that he immediately received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

This story is so encouraging to me in so many ways. First, I’m reminded that Jesus has compassion on those who are hurting and need a savior. And the good news is, we are those people! God had so much compassion that He sent His one and only son to die on the cross for our sins! (John 3:16)

Second, I’m reminded that our cries for help are not ignored; they land on concerned ears that are ready and willing to help and heal at any moment. Sometimes it may seem like God is ignoring our cries for Help because it feels like our prayers aren’t being answered, but God’s timing is not our timing, and His ways are not our ways. His ways and His thoughts are higher (Isaiah 55:9)

Third, I’m reminded that it’s when we draw near to Jesus that we can hear his voice. It’s then that we are able to hear his questions like “What do you want me to do for you?” And he asks us this very question today; It’s not just exclusive to the blind man, some thousands of years ago.

Lastly, I’m reminded that it’s because we draw near and hear His voice that we receive our healing, whether that be physical healing, spiritual healing, mental or emotional healing, or healing in the future. I believe when we draw near to Christ, a shift begins to happen in our spirit, and we become different in the way we walk, talk, and have our being.

In conclusion, because of our faith to reach out to Jesus in our brokenness and a willingness to draw close, it’s in that closeness to Jesus that others will see the shift that happens from the inside out and will come to know, love, and praise God because of it.