Can You See Him During Difficult Times?

Sorry it has taken so long to post my church notes on our final sermon in the "Can You See Him?" series!!

Ironically, we took these photos on Tuesday night. I wanted to put them on my blog and then just now when I was looking at them and remembering our sermon, the two fit together perfectly! Tuesday, I was really tired, but determined to cook dinner. So, I started cooking some pork chops and I was thinking, these do not smell right! So, I called Morgan and he was heading home from work. When he got home, he took a bite and he was like, those are bad!

I was so aggravated! I had just spent 45 minutes cooking, which I HATE to do, all for nothing! I did not even want to speak to anyone. I just left and drove to the BBQ place and bought some brisket for dinner. On the way home, I looked ahead and saw this beautiful rainbow. When I saw it, it was so wide and close, it seemed. And SO bright.

So, I got home and told the girls to come look and took some photos.
Morgan took this one :) Looks like Lily is holding the rainbow.
So, how ironic that as I sit down to type our church sermon that was about seeing God during the difficult times, that I would also post pics of this rainbow after the storm. I love that!

Sometimes in difficult seasons of life, it's really hard to see Jesus. We looked at the story of the blind beggar that Jesus healed in Mark 10. There are several lessons we can learn from the blind man.

1. Don't wait for perfect conditions.

Otherwise known as the "some day" syndrome. As in, "some day, I will do that". The blind man made his living by begging. Jesus was leaving the city and at that time, He was still somewhat of a rock star with a huge crowd following Him. It was probably not the ideal situation for the blind man to get his attention, but he jumped up anyways. There is no wrong time to call Jesus for help. Those perfect scenarios don't come.

2. Concentrate on what you have.

We focus on all the stuff that we wish we could change and what we don't have. We should focus on what we do have. We are the wealthiest 3% on the planet, but we don't feel rich because we focus on the someone who has more than us. The blind man couldn't see Jesus, but he could speak and hear and cry out to Jesus. We have knees.......maybe we should get on them.

3. Don't be swayed by public opinion.

The blind man shouted louder and overcame the crowd, even after they told him to be quiet. If he had listened to the crowd, he would not have been healed. Sometimes faith will make you look silly because it's being certain of what you don't see. Keep believing and don't doubt in the dark, what you know to be true in the light.

4. Jesus hears the cries of desperate people.

It's not true that God will not give you more than you can handle. Sometimes, we definitely have more than we can handle. He will sometimes give you over to your own choices and show you that you weren't as strong as you thought you were, until you have desperation and cry out to Him. The blind man was told by the crowd to be quiet, but then Jesus stopped and told them to call him, so they then began telling him to cheer up. It says that he threw his cloak aside. That cloak made him legit as a beggar - it showed who he was (a beggar) and was his lifeline to his occupation. It was the way he survived. Mark points this out that he throws it aside. What is it that you need to cast aside in order to see Jesus? What are you hanging on to and need to let go of? Maybe you have pride, or wear masks. Maybe you should cast those aside and come to Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:13 says that you will find Him when you seek Him with all of your heart. Jesus isn't hidden. He's available. If you seek Him, you will find Him.

5. Follow Jesus when times turn good.

It's easy to call out to Him in desperation, but it's not so easy when everything is going your way. When we feel in control, we should still follow Jesus. After Jesus healed the blind man, He didn't tell him, "Okay, you're healed, now go to church.....or do good things." The blind man just followed Jesus. Will you follow Him when times are good? Stop trying to take life into your own hands, doing good deeds, following rules. Just follow Jesus. Seek Him with your whole heart. It may cost you something. You may have to cast something out in the process. It doesn't mean it will always be perfect. But, it does mean salvation, new life, purpose and meaning.

All we have is right now. We are not promised another day. We can't wait to call out to Him; to find life from the One who gave His for you. The invitation is always open, but maybe you won't always be as responsive as today. It's available today. Get over the pride and fears and take advantage of the opportunity that presents itself today!