Seeing in Darkness

In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind. The reason I love this story so much is that it has so many elements to teach each of us the importance of what I call “the Jesus factor” for and in all of life.

We all today live in a broken world, full of broken people, for the purpose of pointing others to the God and Savior for all the world. If Jesus lived today, He would still want to reach out to the world with grace and truth, even though we were born blind. I believe our new birth in Christ is as real as being born blind, then seeing with new eyes when Christ is trusted as Savior.

We know that in a spiritual sense, we are all still being born blind so that Jesus may open the eyes of our hearts to see God’s love and plan that calls us to be the light of the world, even during these dark times that we live in.

Christians have had some of the greatest movements of God’s presence during the most difficult times of history. Think with me about how our Lord uses His people during difficult times. Yes, even when Christians are being persecuted, the darker the times, the brighter the witness.

Let’s start with the apostles:

• All were killed but John, who died in prison for going public with Jesus and the gospel.
• The Apostle Paul was beheaded, and Peter was crucified upside down.
• As Christianity grew, mass persecution came to the church in Rome and the then known world.
• As the gospel spread, the cost of lives who followed Jesus grew, and the opposition of darkness grew.

We are all born into God’s perfect plan for how God desires to use each of us, in what He is calling us to do. As Charles Spurgeon said, “Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there.”

“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.” -Isaiah 30:18a, NASB

If we will trust that lovingkindness and embrace what God sends our way, I can assure each of us that even in pain and difficulty, we will experience the blessing God has for us.

As Isaiah 30:18b, NASB, reminds us, “How blessed are all those who long for Him.”

We as Americans live in a fear culture, driven by the philosophy of “Whatever, whenever, however. If it feels good, do it!” I am sure you know that sin always brings a momentary feeling of pleasure and temporary joy. We all also know that sin always leads to long-term consequences and regret. So my brothers and sisters, know our Savior still rules, and as that day grows closer, “every knee should bow … and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:10-11, ESV).”

Yes, that’s the good news. Yes, that’s our hope of glory. The best is yet to be. Jesus wins!