"Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road" (Mark 10:46-52).
1. Be Persistent Blind Bartimaeus was persistent in his prayers. He did not give up after his first cry of mercy to the Lord Jesus. Though he was not heard the first time, yet he was persistent in his cry until the Lord heard him and answered his prayers. Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8). God wants us to keep asking; to keep seeking; and to keep knocking. The Lord Jesus said that the man who came to his friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-8) was heard because of “his persistence” (Luke 11:8). 2. Be Persevering Blind Bartimaeus persevered in his prayers despite many obstacles around him. He overcame all discouragements of people around him that tried to hinder him from crying out to the Lord Jesus for healing. The bible says that we are to pray “always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication” (Eph. 6:18) and that we ought to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). 3. Be Specific Blind Bartimaeus was specific in his prayers. He told the Lord Jesus what he desired. The Lord Jesus asked him “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) and Blind Bartimaeus answered “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight ” (Mark 10:51). We need to be specific in our prayers. Though God knows everything we need before we ask (Matt. 6:8) yet God wants his children to come with specific needs crying out “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). 4. Be Believing Blind Bartimaeus had faith that the Lord Jesus was able to heal him. If he did not have faith, he would not have bothered to cry out to the Lord Jesus. Jesus told Blind Bartimaeus, before healing him, that “your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:52). Even so we need to have faith in the prayer-answering and prayer-hearing God. Jesus said “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24). God does not like unbelief in His people and often does not work when there is unbelief in His people (Matt. 13:58; James 1:5-8). The bible says that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). 5. Be Thankful Blind Bartimaeus was thankful after he received his healing from the Lord Jesus. He did not forget His benefits. He was not like those nine lepers who turned away and quickly forgot what the Lord Jesus did to them (Luke 17:11-19). We read in the second account of the story of Blind Bartimaeus in Luke 18:43 that after he received his sight, Bartimaeus followed the Lord Jesus “glorifying God and all the people when they saw it, gave praise to God” (Luke 18:43). Even so we ought to be thankful. The bible says when we come to God in prayer we are to bring our thanksgiving also. We read in Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). Written by the editor of www.georgemuller.org
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"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
God is "our refuge and strength" and He is always available to help us in our troubles. He is the only one we can turn to in our times of distress. God says in His word: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15). Are you overwhelmed with troubles, anxiety and fear? The Bible says to cast "all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Go to God today. He is always there for you. Father, please be with us today and help us to trust You. Though we cannot see the future, yet help us to trust You that You can carry us through another day. You are in control and You care for us. Please be with us. In Jesus name. Amen. Written by the editor of www.georgemuller.org "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God" (1 Sam. 30:6).
Are you troubled by your circumstances? No need to be troubled. God is still on the throne and He is in absolute control. God is bigger than your circumstances and He is able to help and deliver you. Just look to Him. David was discouraged and greatly distressed when he considered his outward circumstances. Yet, when He remembered the Lord his God, he was encouraged and found strength in Him. You too, can find encouragement and strength in the Lord. Written by the editor of www.georgemuller.org ANXIETY is a state of worry, fear, and uneasiness about a particular situation. For believers, thank God we have the Lord to turn to in our time of distress and anxiety. The world does not know of such comfort and help and they turn to other means to relieve their innermost fears and worry by turning to smoking, drinking, etc. The Lord told us in His word many times not to worry and not to fear and not to be troubled. There are 6 ways you can overcome your anxiety. They are:
1. Pray! "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7). The bible says to “be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving” to make our requests made known to God and His peace which is beyond all human comprehension and understanding will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Notice the two words in the passage: “nothing” but “everything” which are opposite of each other. We are to “be anxious for nothing” but to pray “in everything.” In all our circumstances and trials, we are to bring our petitions before God and God promises us to give us His peace which surpasses all human understanding. 2. Cast your cares! "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). "Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved (shaken)" (Psalm 55:22). God wants you to cast your cares upon Him! He cares for you! Cast all your cares, worries, anxieties, and troubles upon Him and leave it there before His throne and He promises you that you will not be shaken and overwhelmed by them if you leave them with Him. When you throw a rock; you do not go back and get it; do you? So it is when you cast your cares upon the Lord; do not go back and reach into Heaven and bring back your cares upon yourself. 3. Keep your mind on the Lord! "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isaiah 26:3). "I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved" (Psalm 16:8). If you keep your mind on the Lord, the Lord promises to sustain you through all trials and storms that you might encounter in your life. “Stayed upon Jehovah” as the songs says “hearts are fully blest; finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest.” 4. Delight in His word! "Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble" (Psalm 119:165). If you constantly meditate and saturate your mind in the word of God; then God’s peace will sustain you and His word will comfort and assure you of His love and care for you. 5. Look to Jesus! "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1). Yes, look to Jesus! Remember the bumper sticker: “No Jesus, no peace; Know Jesus; know peace.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and will give you peace and rest to your troubled soul. 6. Remember His eye is on you! "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matt 6:25-34). "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7). “His eye is on the sparrow” as the song says and “I know He watches me.” “God will take care of you” as the song says. Do not worry about your life but know that your Heavenly Father knows of your needs but seek Him first and He will add the other things unto you! Written by the editor of www.georgemuller.org Pour Out Your Heart Before Him
"In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." (Psalm 62:7-8) THE Psalmist said in Psalm 62:8: “Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” God is the only Person we can fully pour our heart to. There are some things that we hide from family members and even close friends. We are ashamed to reveal everything to them. We try to make a good appearance before them. But God is the only Person that we can truly open our heart to. He knows everything and there is no reason to hide anything from Him. He is all-knowing and omnipresent. God is the only Person who will not judge us if we open our hearts to Him. Friends might judge us and slander us but God will not. There are two great examples of people in the bible who poured out their hearts to God. My favorite one is Hannah. The story can be found in 1 Samuel chapter 1 and 2. Hannah was barren and could not conceive. The Lord had closed her womb. Peninnah, the other wife of Elkanah, her husband, had children but Hannah was barren. Peninnah, her rival, provoked Hannah to misery day by day because the Lord had closed her womb. Hannah went to the right source. She did not fight with Peninnah but committed herself to the Lord. She went to the Lord “in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish” (1 Samuel 1:10). She told the Lord to remember her and to look on her affliction. It says in 1 Samuel 1:15 that she “poured out her soul before the LORD.” The Lord was gracious and remembered Hannah and gave her a son which she called “Samuel” which means literally “Heard by God.” Hannah was so joyful that she gave her son back to the Lord and consecrated him to the Lord. The Lord was more gracious and blessed Hannah with three other sons and two daughters. The second great example of someone who poured out his heart to God is David. The Book of Psalms is filled with David’s prayers as he was in anguish of heart and soul. David learned at a young age to go to the Lord in times of distress for no one else could give him comfort and no one else could relieve him from his distresses. David says in Psalm 4:1: “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.” In Psalm 142:1, David says: “I cry out to the LORD with my voice; with my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble.” So learn the example of Hannah and David who went to the Lord in their times of distress. Take their example to heart. David was the psalmist who said: “In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:7-8). David knew that the Lord was his only refuge and his only strength and therefore he can say to you and me to “pour out your heart before Him” for He alone is our refuge and strength. So remember to go to God in your times of distress for He is willing and more than willing to receive you and answer your prayer. 1. CONFESS “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Prov. 28:13). 2. THANK “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6). 3. SUPPLICATE “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). 4. PERSEVERE “…Being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). 5. PERSIST “I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs” (Luke 11:8). 6. WAIT “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). 7. SUBMIT “…Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Written by the editor of www.georgemuller.org |
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December 2019
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