Mark 10:46-48 (NKJV)
“As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Have you ever stood in a crowd waving your hands and screaming to get someone’s attention? How about sitting high up in the stands at a sold out game and you keep yelling at the players as if they could hear you? Maybe you see an accident about to happen and you are shouting a warning but there is too much noise for them to hear you?
Life is filled with circumstance everyday when there may be a need to raise your voice so someone else sees or hears you. But there are probably also times in those same days when you should speak up and you don’t. We must remember that everyone is different and may not be as outspoken as the person next to them. So, how would you react?
We may see someone getting bullied, but don’t say anything because we don’t know them or there are too many. Someone could be making comments that make us uncomfortable, but we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. We could even be in a situation where we need assistance but are too scared or embarrassed to ask for help.
The first two situations can have a lot more to them and could be debated for days. I can hear the phrases like social norms and peer pressure being used as excuses or justifications for the actions that are occurring. When you get to the third example, we should be somewhat irritated that a person can not ask for assistance in any situation no matter where they are.
Think of all the little things that you may have done to help someone else that the person may not have asked you to. Someone trying to carry a large package and you hold the door for them. Someone having trouble changing a flat tire and you walk over to help them. A person can’t reach to get something off the top shelf and you get it for them.
I heard a story the one time of a person who paid $100 to have a tow truck come out to jump them because they were afraid to ask the guy getting in the truck next to them because he had tattoos. Again, a person no matter who they are should not be afraid to ask for help. Is it any wonder that too many of us get into this habit of not asking, even when it comes to the Lord.
No matter where you are at with your spiritual walk with Christ, we should not be afraid to talk to him. Earlier I mentioned that we hesitate in many situations because we feel uncomfortable, scared, or embarrassed. With the Lord we don’t have to worry about any of those things because He already knows everything we are going through.
We can all be like Bartimaeus and cry out to the Lord for His mercy, but too often we only hear the voices of the crowd telling us to be quiet. Those voices can get quite loud too, telling us we are too broken or have done too many things wrong for Jesus to pay attention to us. Again, there is nothing we can tell God that He already doesn’t know, but we still want to be the man in John 5:5-7.
“Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
Even after Jesus asked him if he wants to be made well, he doesn’t first say yes. Instead, it was the excuse he used his whole life, “I have no help.” Jesus already knew his problems and his fears, but he was listening to the crowd in his mind telling him to be quiet rather than screaming out, “YES LORD PLEASE HELP ME!”
In James 4:2 it is told to us in a little bit different way, “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.” The first part are examples of us relying on the world to solve our problems and no matter what we do, we do not have and cannot obtain. The last sentence keeps it simple that we do not have because we do not take it to the Lord in prayer.
For many, this is a good reminder of what we need to be doing to move forward along God’s path for us. While others, this may have raised concerns because you never really started your relationship with Christ. Romans 10:9 tells us where to begin, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Confess and believe, it is that simple. Tell Him everything and sincerely ask for His forgiveness. If you truly believe, you will find a new path through life that is filled with hope. If you feel you need help with this, don’t hesitate, ask for help. We all know those near us who can guide you through.
So, no matter where you are in your faith journey, always speak to God from your heart. Talk to Him as a close friend as Adam did in the Garden. Tell Him about your day, thank Him for the blessings in your life, and ask Him for what you need. If you truly listen with your heart, you will find what you seek. Now also please enjoy, “Raising Your Voice To Me.”
There’s a voice inside that’s screaming out but I can barely speak,
So much emotion is building up, that I’m starting to feel weak.
I open my mouth but in frustration still no words come out,
Do I just not know what I should say or is it fear and doubt?
In my heart I know what’s true and have for such a long time.
But I see obstacles in my way like a mountain too steep to climb.
Lord, taking this step to reach your door is harder than I thought.
I open my mouth one last time with the last bit of strength I got.
Dear child, pause to breathe a moment until the feelings gone,
You are making it much harder with the pressure you’re adding on,
I am always here listening so you can relax and find your words,
There’s no need to be frightened, it’s my love you’re walking towards.
So faithfully open your heart fore my door is always open to you,
I have always been patiently waiting for you to just walk through.
Shout your pain from the mountain tops or just ask for what you need,
Even whisper your fears in the darkness when Raising Your Voice To Me.
Simple Faith Christian
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Simple Faith Christian 