“Saying, what wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Luke 18:41
What a strange question Jesus asked. There was no doubt that Bartimaeus was blind and because of that he was begging along the roadside. No doubt the garment he wore showed the world that he was unable to work because of his disability. He had heard the footsteps of the crowd as they were passing by. Even though he could not see Jesus, he somehow knew that He was there and cried out. When they tried to quiet him, Jesus said “bring him to Me.” He needed help to get to the Lord.
So, why the question? Jesus already knew that He was blind, and that what he was requesting was to receive his sight.
When Jesus was here on earth, He traveled through the country. He met many people who needed healing. In most cases I am sure that He already knew what they needed, but He waited for them to tell Him what they desired. It was no problem for him to heal whatever was wrong in their bodies, because, after all, He was the Creator. BUT he waited for them to express their need and then He performed the miracle that they desired.
Too many times we try everything else first, before we ask the Lord to meet our needs, whether they be physical healing or other things. James said that we have not because we ask not. The Lord knows everything about us, but He waits for us to bring our needs to Him, to express what it is that we desire, and to trust Him to meet the need.
We can learn a lot from Bartimaeus. He believed, he asked for help, and he didn’t allow anything to get in his way. He kept crying out, even when they tried to quiet him. When Jesus stopped and heard his cry, he cast away his garment, came running to Jesus. When Jesus asked him what He could do for him, he stated exactly what he needed. He believed when Jesus told him to receive his sight. Changing his old life for a new one, he followed Jesus.
Maybe there is a need in your life that you have never really expressed to the Lord. He is waiting today for you to voice your need to Him. We can rest assured that He will meet the need if we believe and obey Him.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you are always listening to hear our cry, that you are never too busy to answer our needs. Help us to bring all our cares and needs to you, believing that you are waiting to meet us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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