His works

So I've been thinking about my theme song and the significance of us singing it this coming Sunday and then today someone read me John 9:1-3.

It says this...

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

 ¹ As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”    ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

There are a lot of questions when things don't go your way, but when things consistently go wrong, your questions get harder to answer.  The most common question is, "What have I done to deserve this?".  My favorite question is similar, "What sin have I committed to cause this? Maybe it's my belief in Karma that makes me ask that question, but I am a big believer in "What goes around, comes around."  

I'm sure the blind man had asked himself that question many times, especially since he was probably an indigent and a beggar.  "What did I do to deserve this fate?"  "What must I atone for?" But those aren't the only questions we ask.  "Why has He turned His back on me?"  "Why don't I feel Him near?"


In Trust and Obey, one of the verses that I have talked about before says this:

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But our toil He doth richly repay. I think that is my most favorite line from the song.  Our toil He doth richly repay.  The scripture above says basically the same thing, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him."  Our hardships, "our toil", gets used by Him in ways that we might never understand.  


If you read further on in John, you will see that the blind man made whole, went back to his village and spread the news about his healing and about the Man that had healed him.  The story ends there but I imagine that many more people believed after they saw this man who had been made whole by the Son.  The same thing happens when people we know see us struggle and see how we devote ourselves to prayer to get us through the other side, they start to understand our beliefs and they start to believe.  


I think that's a tall order for us, flawed humans.  Even in our struggles, we have to keep our eyes on Him, even when we question Him and the path that He has us on.  Believe me I know how hard it is to do that.  If you follow me you know how very difficult it is for me to keep my head up and looking towards heaven, when things get tough.  But I think that is what Trust and Obey is about for me this Sunday.

Things are tough right now and things look like they are going to get tougher but my "toil", will be richly repaid.  Yesterday, I couldn't help to look up towards heaven.  The sun was out and He was smiling down on me.  Today however the clouds have moved in and today I find it harder to look up, but the clouds will eventually clear and the sun will come out once again and with the sun will be reminded once again that He is watching us.  


But in the meantime, remember that your words and actions are what people, who question your faith, see and hear.  Show those around you that no matter where you are in your walk that your eyes are looking towards heaven.  Let them know that even when it's cloudy, even when we doubt or question, we still believe in His power.