I’ve been mulling over this thought all day: Jesus stood still. And so, I’ve been considering that for me, for you — for anyone who calls on Him in faith: Jesus stands still. Though He was on the Jericho Road… knowing full well that He was about to be delivered into the hands of the chief Priests and Scribes… and there along the way was blind Bartimaeus. Now, it’s not so much that he was there, or that Jesus knew he was there or even that He passed by him. It’s remarkable that when He passed by, He stopped.
Bartimaeus was told to come to Jesus… and he did so. He obeyed before he received the blessing of sight. I think that’s remarkable. I believe he would have followed Jesus even if he had not been healed. Instead, Jesus did heal him after asking Bartimaeus what he wanted. Bartimaeus wanted sight. And Jesus granted it and sent him on his way. But his way became the way of Jesus, for the Word says that Bartimaeus immediately received his sight and followed Jesus in the way. Jesus affirmed to him that his faith had made him whole.
Many are blind and in need of the healing touch of the LORD… many will never see a daisy or a full moon or into the eyes of a newborn or face of a bride or the sky at sunset… but even they will see Jesus. But there are none so blind as those who will not see.
There is never a time when Jesus ignores the prayer of faith. Faith is the gift of God… for we all, like Bartimaeus, are born blind – figuratively or literally or both. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God. All of us are as pitiful as beggers and unless or until Jesus stands still and stoops to hear us, we remain in that destitute state: beggers. Beggers without hope… as Ephesians 2.12 says: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” No hope and without God. But God! And this is the sweetest truth: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5.8)
Jesus stands still to hear your cries. He stands still to make intercession for you. He stands still to hear your faithful prayers. O, the enemy will attempt to convince you otherwise. O, the enemy or naysayers will attempt to thwart your faith, your hope, your love for the LORD. But God… but the LORD still hears and still answers… still stands still for you. Do you see that? The enemy and naysayer you know might shame you into thinking you aren’t heard or that you aren’t worth it or that you have failed too many times………. Ooooo, that’s the biggy: too many failings… too many mistakes… too much sin… too much time since your last Bible reading or too much time since your last act of faithfulness or act of kindness. Ah—but that’s not God — and you know it. You know when you call on Him… in faith… He hears you. There’s not a ticking time-clock and your time’s about to expire… no. Today if you will hear His voice. (Hebrews 3). Today.
Taste and see. Prove Him. You will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever find Him unfaithful. Never. He stood still for me. He will stand still for you.
