More Faith and Less Sight

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Mark 1:34, ” Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. “

Background

One of my favorite sayings about hitting a baseball is that it’s one of the few things you can fail at two-thirds of the time and still be considered one of the best. And as odd as that sounds, it’s still a better percentage than the leading goal scorers in hockey. Last season, the best of the NHL could not even score on twenty percent of their shots, and many barely eclipsed ten percent. That’s a far cry from an NFL kicker who could lose his job over missing one critical field goal. But it’s a fact common to all sports, that success is relative to the task at hand. Quarterbacks strive to break sixty percent for throwing completions, basketball players aim for fifty when shooting, and tennis players are playing their best when their first serve is successful at least three- fourths of the time. But what about Jesus? What is the expectation for Him when He was carrying out His ministry on earth? He had all the power of heaven within Him. But sometimes He preached and some listeners didn’t believe. Sometimes He healed and others weren’t restored. Some cities He visited and could not do much. At Peter’s house, they brought all who were sick and demon-possessed to Him, and He healed many. That sounds wonderful, except for the ones who weren’t healed. Many is a lot, but it’s not all. Someone was the last one healed and another was the first one turned away.

Application

It’s hard to picture, Jesus not meeting every single need of every single person. I can’t fathom Him looking at them and saying that He had to leave, that He needed to be someplace else. But apparently it happened, perhaps not very often. But if you’re that unfortunate one, once might be too often. And then what? If you’re the one today who still suffers or hasn’t received His healing touch, you might wonder why. Christ clearly has the power. But He also has the wisdom. He knows what to do and when to do it. And when He doesn’t act, it could make you doubt. But hopefully it reminds you that He is God, and that His kingdom plan operates a little differently than yours and mine. So faith must step in where our reason fails us. His will wins out over our want. And when we choose to dwell on Him and not His percentages, then His grace is sufficient.

Charge

As we seek Him today, concede that God’s plans don’t always match yours. Ask God for more faith and less sight as you wait on His perfect timing.