Today’s devotion is Luke 18: 35-43 which covers Jesus’ healing of Bartimaeus, the blind man who was sitting by the road begging near Jericho. Here is the link to the chapter which contains this Scripture – Click here: Luke 18 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com
We focus on verse 43. “Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.” Luke 18:43. (Emphasis added.)
We see throughout Scripture that God is glorified by His work in the blind, the deaf, the lame, the demon-possessed, and worse, sinners like you and me.
These Scriptures should be of great encouragement to us as we struggle with our weaknesses.
The Apostle Paul stated: “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
Here are three questions that may help you in your study of a Scriptural passage:
1. Is the focus on what man has done or on what God has done?
2. Are we urged to work harder or believe more?
3. Did the victory come from what man did or what God did? Who got the glory?
“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.
“For Thou, O LORD, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done, I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands.” Psalm 92:4.
This should be our attitude! We should not be preoccupied by our works. We should not be preoccupied by what we should do. Rather, we should focus on God’s works. We should be glad about what God has done.
Too often, we dwell on feelings of our own failures or inadequacies. We feel that because we are “mature Christians” we should examine ourselves more often and perfect ourselves.
It is easy to justify this focus on our self. We can pull out selected verses from the Bible that admonish us to do this or not to do that. Messages of failure and inadequacy even come from people we respect: preachers, teachers, and family. It can seem righteous to us for us to feel condemned and inadequate. When worldly wisdom is blended into God’s Word, the resulting half truths are particularly believable and dangerous.
2 Timothy 2:15 exhorts us: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” We should not take verses out of their context. We should read, preach, and teach the meaning of the whole passage. Verses can be selected and isolated out of their passage as long as they are used in the meaning of the whole passage. Beware of sermons or messages based on just one or a few verses. Ask yourself what is the meaning of the whole passage.
Here are three portions of Scripture that plainly tell us to focus on the work of God. We need to focus on God more and on man less. We need to believe more, rather than work more.
John 6:28-29
“They said therefore to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'”
Romans 4:1-5
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. For what does Scripture say? ‘AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,”
Galatians 3:2-5
“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain – if indeed it was in vain? Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
In conclusion, focus on God and what He has done. Be glad by what God has done. Sing for joy at the works of God’s hands. “… and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.”
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 