How is it that you do not understand?

I mull this thought over and over as I stir my coffee:  How is it that you do not understand?  It is a question Jesus asked His disciples *after* the feeding of the four thousand as they were reasoning among themselves about their lack of bread.  (Mark 8.16-21) We ought to ask ourselves this question — especially if we’ve walked with Jesus a long time — especially if we’ve seen Him do above and beyond all that we could’ve asked or imagined.

So this must be us, too, because we have seen and experienced the provision, the miracles, the touch of Jesus on our lives and we, too, give in to fears and doubts and faithless thoughts. Where is Jesus when we do this?  Well, we answer, He is right here. Yes!  Yes, He is, but why do we think and act as though He is not (or was not or will not be).  Why do we so often live as though He’s never passed by, never taken our hand, never touched our eyes, never made a difference in our lives.

We are like those who sought and received healing, but continue on having eyes that see not, ears but hearing not and experiencing but remembering not.

But Jesus.  But Jesus — ever compassionate Jesus — doesn’t leave, does not forsake us, does not think us insignificant.  As further demonstration of His amazing love and precious care, Jesus continues to show mercy.  Mark 8.22: A blind man is brought to Jesus — for a cure, for sight to his eyes.  And what does Jesus do?  He takes the blind man by the hand.  Has Jesus done this for you?  Have you sought Him for this or that or some other thing — and He takes you by the hand?  Before the blind man saw, he was led by the Lord Jesus.

O, that ought to be us. O, that we would trust Jesus when He takes us by the hand *before* we see — that we would be led by Him – in blind faith.

1 Peter 2:9  “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises
of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

When Jesus was reminding His disciples of the miracles they had seen and experienced, He didn’t simply point to the miracle of feeding four thousand or of feeding five thousand — but He pointed out to them what remained — what was left over.  Do you think on that in your life?  After the miracles He has done… and all the “fragments” or overage or abundance left over. This is where (I believe) the above and beyond comes in when considering that the Lord has done/is doing/will do above and beyond what we ask or imagine.  I think we’re just too often to blind to see — even though we’ve been given sight.  May the Lord open our eyes that we may see — that we may understand — and remember — and live in His marvelous light.  May it be for us, today, the testimony:  whereas I was blind, now I see.  O, what a difference since Jesus passed by.