Where are you?

Luke 18:40
Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him. When he came closer, he asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"

This is a story we all know and love, its the story of the blind man getting healed on the road to Jericho by Jesus, after the man cries out "Jesus , Son of David have mercy on me." He recognized that Jesus wasn't some preacher but the Messiah, although his physical site prevented him from seeing Jesus, and there are many applications in that alone, but I want to return to my education roots and examine two verbs found in the story and how they apply to us in the "real world".

Notice the first verb is brought, meaning someone got the man in the proximity of the Master. I want to focus on this a moment as many people are brought to Jesus or the presence of God and that is as far as it goes. The worship leader can bring us into the presence, we can BRING someone to church, we can bring people to a variety of places and that is as far as many will get. How many people do you think standing around Jesus that day had needs themselves. Healing, financial, spiritual or whatever, there was the ONE who had their answer yet they were there and watch another get what he needed from Christ. What was the difference? You may have guessed by now EXACTLY what the difference was, he came closer!!!

I can be brought into the presence of God, but I choose to enter in, I can be brought to Jesus, but I have to decide to come closer. Notice what the Psalmist says and the verbs he uses. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise." Ps. 100:4 CSB Notice what he says, Enter, not get dragged, forced, or cajoled but enter willingly. The blind man could have been brought and stopped there being satisfied meeting Jesus, but he came closer to hear the wonderful words, "What do you want me to do for you?" WOW!! did you see that, getting closer, Christ addressed his need, and the man got what he needed. 

What about you? Have you been brought and stopped or have you made the choice to come closer. All of my life I have been brought and sometimes went deeper and others were content to just sit and watch others get blessed. Recently I have been learning to get as close as I can, just to see what Christ can and will do in my life. I long to get to the place where the miracles that the early church saw, are evidenced in the ministry and people around me. I know that as I get closer to Christ, people will see less of me and more of him, and my blinded eyes will be wide open and seeing what the Lord can do. 

Prayer: Lord, bring me closer to you. Let me enter that place with you, and sit with you in heavenly places. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

Grace and peace be multiplied to you. 
Eric