September 2nd, 2020
By Jack Broomell
Can you believe it is already September? The year 2020 seems like a year that is flying by but also one that seems to be dragging on, weird isn't it? As we continue to do these devotions, one that has stuck out to me was one I did recently. It went through the story of the blind man in John 9: 1-7
“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered. ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’. So he went and washed and came back seeing”
As we reflect on this passage we see that this blind man’s suffering was not caused by something he or his parents did. Though there is a sense in which all suffering can be traced to the fact we live in a world that is broken because of sin. It does not mean we should assume that our pain is always the direct result of those wrong decisions. Often our pain is simply the standard experience of living in a fallen world.
When you receive the gospel of God’s grace you can find comfort in knowing that your suffering has been factored into God’s larger story. This doesn’t eliminate our pain or invalidate our struggles. It does provide hope to strengthen us for the challenging road ahead. Instead of asking “Why did this happen to me? Who is to blame?” instead we can learn to ask “What is God going to do through this situation? What is He up to? How might His glory shine through this situation?”
The gospel is what enables us to endure suffering as a normal part of the Christian life. It tells us that Jesus rescued us from the ultimate suffering, condemnation and separation from the Father that we truly deserve. We instead have eternal hope, and will be restored in our Father. While we wait, our suffering is under the hand of our Father who is training us to walk with Him - strengthening others to see His work in us.
It is hard to accept at times what happens to us or the world but I wonder how different my community would be if instead of blaming others, I simply asked “How can God be glorified in this situation?”. It is such a powerful question that I think we all can work on asking more.
Can you believe it is already September? The year 2020 seems like a year that is flying by but also one that seems to be dragging on, weird isn't it? As we continue to do these devotions, one that has stuck out to me was one I did recently. It went through the story of the blind man in John 9: 1-7
“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered. ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’. So he went and washed and came back seeing”
As we reflect on this passage we see that this blind man’s suffering was not caused by something he or his parents did. Though there is a sense in which all suffering can be traced to the fact we live in a world that is broken because of sin. It does not mean we should assume that our pain is always the direct result of those wrong decisions. Often our pain is simply the standard experience of living in a fallen world.
When you receive the gospel of God’s grace you can find comfort in knowing that your suffering has been factored into God’s larger story. This doesn’t eliminate our pain or invalidate our struggles. It does provide hope to strengthen us for the challenging road ahead. Instead of asking “Why did this happen to me? Who is to blame?” instead we can learn to ask “What is God going to do through this situation? What is He up to? How might His glory shine through this situation?”
The gospel is what enables us to endure suffering as a normal part of the Christian life. It tells us that Jesus rescued us from the ultimate suffering, condemnation and separation from the Father that we truly deserve. We instead have eternal hope, and will be restored in our Father. While we wait, our suffering is under the hand of our Father who is training us to walk with Him - strengthening others to see His work in us.
It is hard to accept at times what happens to us or the world but I wonder how different my community would be if instead of blaming others, I simply asked “How can God be glorified in this situation?”. It is such a powerful question that I think we all can work on asking more.
No Comments