sojourner’s song

Hear my prayer, O Lord,

and give ear to my cry;

hold not your peace at my tears!

For I am a sojourner with you,

a guest, like all my fathers.

Psalm 39:12

All my life, no matter its length or depth, is a temporary travel toward where my soul’s real home lies. Happiness comes when I embrace this journey and live for going home. The more kingdom focus I can bring to my view of life as a traveler, the clearer this vision becomes to me, the more I know I am just a guest in this world, at home only with my Lord.

Sojourners travel. They live light, carry little with them, but see much! The joy of sojourning is found in provision that God brings as each step in the journey trusts God to bring His traveler finally home. And at their pilgrim arrival in His Celestial City, sojourners will at last find peace breathing in the sweet, restful air of home.

I’m just a poor wayfaring stranger

Traveling through this world below

There is no sickness, no toil, no danger

in that bright land to which I go

I’m going there to see my Jesus

and all my loved ones who’ve gone on

I’m just a goin’ over Jordan

I’m just a goin’ over home

how to deal with guilt

I confess my iniquity;

I am sorry for my sin.

Psalm 38:18

Awareness of sin hurts. It works in us a true guilt, the purpose of which is to lead us to God Who alone can forgive our sin. But when guilt is not dealt with through God’s atoning work, all sorts of shame can make a ruin of our lives. The descriptions David gives to His state of life in Psalm thirty-eight shows us a man ready to come to God in confession after his own efforts to hide sin have piled up shame and led to despair.

His symptoms are classic shame-ridden depression:

> He feels the conviction of sin from God (Psalm 38:1-2).

> He is physically sick with shame (Psalm 38:3, 7, 10).

> It all weighs heavily on him (Psalm 38:4-6).

> He is sad (Psalm 38:6, 8).

> He groans and sighs (Psalm 38:9).

> He feels abandoned and alone (Psalm 38:11).

> He fears hurt from other people (Psalm 38:12).

David’s only hope is to come to God in confession of sin. His faith leads him to godly sorrow, to repentance, and to waiting on the Lord’s answer of deliverance (Psalm 38:15). He is then confident that only God can save (Psalm 38:22).

When my awareness of sin hurts, a quick expression of my sinful sorrow and confession of my sin are always the best response. Acknowledging my wrong and accepting that only in Christ is my forgiveness found saves me from further guilt and shame. Otherwise my selfish, sinful, moralistic efforts to better my situation only mire my guilt in a cesspool of shame. God will deliver my heart from guilt and shame. Jesus’ blood washes my guilt free to know the loving grace of my Savior! Then I can wait again for new life as he is my deliverance. The beauty of sins forgiven confidently in Christ far outweighs the pain of bearing shame!

a future for a person of peace

Mark the blameless and behold the upright,

for there is a future for the man of peace.

Psalm 37:37

This is a promise for all who will cling to the gospel and seek to follow Jesus. I cannot be blameless in my own efforts. I fight sin in my motivations, attitudes, and my wrong choices every.... single.... day. I have to do battle with selfish thinking constantly. I find myself regularly enticed by the lust of the body, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I can only be blameless in the Perfect Life of Christ. His righteousness, applied to me, must live in me for any sort of upright life to be known. The gospel is my only hope.

When I cling to Jesus and let His Word and Spirit work in me, I can see my focus shift from self to loving others. I can only love them well as Jesus loves them through me. But the reconciliation to God I know through the cross compels me to seek peace with others and to help others seek peace. And then the gospel as the message of reconciliation gives me the ministry of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-21) so that through Jesus, as I commit to living and proclaiming the gospel in word and in deed, I can be a person of peace.

And there is a joyful future promised to such a person of peace. Those who are made a new creation in Christ live in that new creation, even as the world is still suffering under sin’s curse. Little islands of hope emerge in Christian lives as people who are at peace, who are forgiven, who can be seen as holy because Christ’s righteousness is applied to them, begin to share that bright hope in the world.

Jesus,

I am living for the future that You promise for a person of peace because You are my Prince of peace. Help me to make Your peace known in the gospel. I want to be an island of bright hope in an ocean of darkness.

Amen

above abundance

Better is the little that the righteous has

than the abundance of many wicked.

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but the Lord upholds the righteous.

Psalm 37:16-17

These are true words that realign our values that tend to warp in worldly ways if we are not careful. These two verses are really challenging the kinds of things we will trust. I see a clarifying question at work here that helps me understand the point being made: Will I trust the stuff of this world to bring me life and satisfaction, or will I trust faith in God to do so?

All of scripture as it points to the gospel of Jesus Christ calls me to faith. All of culture influenced by a sinful world system and the devil’s schemes would have me trust in stuff. And even as I commit to a life of faith, the siren call of materialism, pride, and the lust of the eyes is constantly doing battle in my heart. It isn’t easy.

From a temporary viewpoint it looks like “the abundance of many wicked” people gives them happiness. It parades itself in my Facebook feed or Apple News digest. I just saw it in my notification pop ups on my phone while typing up this post. I didn’t watch even one second of it, but the Oscars last night were a worship service to rejection of God’s truth as the abundant wicked strutted their stuff on the red carpet. Sure... I know there are Christians in Hollywood, but the last time I can remember a positive Christians portrayal winning an Oscar was “Chariots of Fire” 37 YEARS ago! Culturally, the dollars (and glory) all go to the worldly status quo.

I am convinced though that I will be rich beyond measure in owning nothing but Christ. I’ve seen this wealth in the lives of village pastors in Africa. I’ve met Christians under persecution in China who get this so much better than I do. And they are generous with their love of Christ. I too, long to be generous with His blessing, not so that I can “prove I was right” but instead to enjoy the real life such freedom from materialism brings. I will prize the gospel, share it, guard it, treasure it in my heart, live for it, knowing God upholds me in Christ. The gospel lifts me above worldly abundance to find the treasure of Jesus!

feast home

They feast on the abundance of your house,

and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

Psalm 36:8

I was hungry

You brought me home

sat me down

at Your feast table

where I was filled

I was lonely

You took me in

with Your love

made me family

until I was thrilled

I was thirsty

You sent a river

in front of me

flowing clear and free

I found refreshment

I was needy

You gave Yourself

for my salvation

I am accepted

for Your enjoyment

freedom from tradition

So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.

Matthew 15:6b

My Christian faith was born in an independent Baptist church. I have no doubt in my mind that I believed the gospel and trusted Christ as my Savior under clear gospel preaching. And during my formative childhood I heard a lot of preaching on respecting and obeying the Word of God. I memorized a ton of scripture. I know I heard a lot of warning against the dangers of religious traditions (particularly of the Catholic or mainstream Protestant varieties). But for all the gospel and the hellfire preaching, I was steeped in binding traditions that diminished the Word of God as Jesus taught it.

I was taught to hate sin, but also to despise and judge sinners. I was taught that appearance was what pleased God most, so I attended three church services a week (whether I wanted to or not), went to a Thursday night kids’ ministry, visited the sick and elderly with my parents every other Friday night, attended Christian school on weekdays, endured buzz cuts in the 70’s (neighbor kids called me “bald Burch” - true story), wore suites and ties as a kid in order to be a clean cut Christian above reproach who did not “look like the world”. It was all tradition while screaming (sometimes hatefully) that it was not. I had become quite the little Pharisee. I wasn’t truly happy, but at least I looked the part of “holy”.

I don’t think I heard one sermon on Christian liberty clearly taught until I was around 17. By then, I was exhausted from legalism’s demands, keeping up outward appearance while secreting listening to “secular” music, going to the movie theatre (a big “no-no”), and otherwise finding ways to bend tradition when I could. I was waiting for God to bring the hammer down on my “worldliness”.

But a funny thing happened... or actually didn’t happen. God led me to understand how deceived I had been. As I truly read scripture for myself because I wanted to, under the guidance of men discipling me to follow Jesus and not the Law, I began to be changed by the gospel and set free from legalism. I found joy in wisely trusting the gospel alone, and shrinking away from traditions that had defined my childhood. And God’s Word became powerful when I freed it from tradition’s chains. It still is. The gospel is about freedom, not tradition. Thank Christ, He sets us free indeed!

gospel driven living

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Acts 20:24

When Jesus is your life and when the gospel drives your story, you can feel what Paul is saying here with passion and can identify with his desire. Life has a fulfilling priority as a disciple of Jesus. We gain so much more than just heaven as a final destination. We gain a life now that is marked by the precious love of God in Christ. And it is beautiful.

What drove Paul forward to Jerusalem where God was warning him to prepare for hardships and imprisonment, was the passion to bring the gospel to those who did not know Jesus. He was glad to face this unknown because of what he did know. What Paul knew about Christ compelled him and strengthened his resolve to preach the gospel, even in hardship. His life was threatened, but his security in Christ was not!

I don’t compare to Paul, but I want to. I want to always have the gospel as the story of my life. I want Jesus made known in how I live, how I work, how I face life’s difficulties, and in how I trust Him in all of my experiences. And so I pray for the strength of the gospel message to support my thinking and actions. “...if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus...”

faith’s reward

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love,

that he may deliver their soul from death

and keep them alive in famine.

Psalm 33:18-19

There are two ways faith in God is described by the Psalmist and there are two ways God delivers that are described in these two verses. Those who have faith in God, God sees and notices, and those who fear Him will place their hope in His grace. These two facets of faith balance out our view of God. We fear Him because of His authority over us. We respect God’s holiness. We are aware of how our sins put us under His judgment and wrath. This healthy respect places us in the humblest position before God.

We also, through Christ, may hope in His steadfast love. God loved us by sending His Son to die in our place, to bear our judgment, to die our death, so that we might believe and find life in His grace. God’s justice met His grace in Jesus. The truth of our guilt met mercy, and by faith we are forgiven and made new!

The two results of this faith now can be our own experience. We are delivered from eternal damnation in death and we are kept safe in times of life hardship by the love of God. God takes care of His children. Yes, we are mortal and will journey death’s valley of the shadow one day. But we are delivered from the worst of what it could bring us. We are given eternal life by Jesus!

We may also know difficulties, but are spared the worst as the joy of the Lord is our life. He keeps us by His good grace and sovereign purpose until the day He brings us to Himself. Faith’s reward is God Himself!

all in

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Matthew 13:44

Jesus sparks joy. Not stuff... not a cleaner house. The prospects of eternal life and of a fulfilled life as His disciple give Christians an unimagineably intense joy. Nothing compares to this. Christians value Christ’s rule in their lives above all else. He re-orders our priorities. He changes our values. We orient all of our lives around the good news that Jesus saves us and changes us and brings true fulfillment.

As I read this kingdom parable, I am struck by the joy of the man who finds the treasure. He knows he will lack nothing once the treasure is his, but first he must own the field. So he willingly divests himself of everything else he has because the return on this investment is staggeringly immense. He goes “all in” because the field is more valuable than anything else around him that he currently owns. And he gains joy in the joy of knowing this.

Through the gospel I know that the kingdom of heaven at rule in my heart is a vast treasure. It will take me into eternity. It brings great joy knowing sin is no longer my master. I am free. So I will go “all in” with what I have. Stuff is only stuff and must be used to open the treasure chest of the kingdom! It is useful as it buys the treasure! And it is the treasure of the gospel that is my valued hope. It is my sustainer, my joy, and my salvation. It is Jesus and His Way that is worth everything! 

worth it to wait

Love the Lord, all you his saints!

The Lord preserves the faithful

but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!

Psalm 31:23-24

It’s worth it to wait

  because although I live in time

  God’s periphery is eternity

  so the power is not mine

  to add or subtract one second

  from my life

It’s worth it to wait

  for trust comes to bring peace

  as my anxieties diminish

  and my control issues cease

  to dominate my thinking

  calm thought brings ease

It’s worth it to wait

  for Jesus is always faithful

  to provide for my needs

  and my soul is now grateful

  for all the love I see

  a lifetime now full

believing forever

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”

Exodus 19:9a

God had a very big purpose when delivering the Law to Moses at Sinai. It went much farther than just the immediate moment that Israel was facing. They certainly needed direction and leadership there in the wilderness where they were struggling to figure out their next steps. They still felt a weird nostalgia for Egypt even though they suffered as slaves there. But at Sinai God was doing something that would be bigger than just that moment. He’d help Israel find their new identity beyond slavery. They would be identified in Him.

God would reveal the Law to Moses so that the Word of God would be what defined Israel. The people would “hear” from God continuously through His Law. They would know that God had spoken to them. And that would change their identity as a people of God’s Word as God called them into covenant with Him. The Jews would be a people of His Book. And in turn, written revelation would define the existence of Israel forever. That is an important concept summed up in the last phrase God spoke to Moses here... “believe you forever.” God intended His Word, delivered through Moses, to be heard and understood among His people always... from that day forward.

God’s people are today still a people of His Word. Because scripture is accessible and reliable, I hear God’s voice in it clearly even this morning. I cannot question “Was this God’s Word?” I just literally read it with its message echoing in my head. This leads me to the “forever faith” promised here. It will sustain my soul from this morning all the way through eternity. I hear what God speaks. I ponder it in order to believe it. And I find eternal life because all of scripture points to Jesus, Who died and rose again for my sins so that I might have life eternal and believe Him forever!

enthroned over the flood

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

Psalm 29:10

We kid ourselves if we believe that God’s sovereignty is only about blessing us. How arrogant we are to think that God MUST only bring good to sinners. God is certainly the God of refreshing springs in the desert. But He is also sovereign in the destroying flood. God is glorified in grace and also in judgment. The sooner we realize this, the healthier our view of God will be. And He may choose to correct our selfish theology by bringing rising water our way.

The word used for “flood” in this psalm is a very unique word. It is only used in the Old Testament to describe one event: The global flood of Genesis 6. That’s right... THAT flood where Noah built the ark and “tha animals a-comin’ two by two”. That Sunday School, flannelgraph story... that floating zoo tale... that’s the one this verse is talking about. God is enthroned over that kind of global catastrophe. God opened the heavens and uncorked the fountains of the deep to release a flood that covered the earth. He is equally sovereign and holy while unleashing a worldwide mass extinction event so severe that He eventually covenanted with Noah NEVER to do that kind of flood again!

Here, in a song of worship, God is praised as King over all, forever, and His power to destroy is one reason for His praiseworthiness. For us it may be an uncomfortable realization, but we can’t just beg for blessing without respecting God’s very real, very fearful power to destroy sinners who reject Him. He is enthroned over the destroying deluge. And we must in grateful praise remember His mercy!

Jesus reminded us to “fear Him Who has the power to destroy body and soul in Hell.” Death and Hell are the deluge of our generation. Hell will be the destiny of sinners who have never believed the gospel. And of course, Jesus has saved those who believe, sovereign over death and hell for us. He is worthy of our worship for that reason. He is sovereign over destruction and brings salvation. Jesus is enthroned over the flood.

Remember this about the Creator...

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Acts 17:24-25

There are four significant facts to believe about God in these two verses. The first is that God is Creator of all that there is. The cosmos did not create itself as the result of some mindless, unimaginable, purposeless event. God made all there is, including the earth and everything that sustains humanity as well as all life on this fragile, crystal-blue ball. And because God is universal Creator, He is supreme above all.

The second fact then is that as Creator, God is ruler over the universe. There is no power beyond His control. Black holes? Just one of His ideas. Galaxies flying apart from one another in a vast void at light speed? He did that by simply speaking the words. Stars go supernova and planets burn up. His plan. A certain rock has an atmosphere, a magnetic field, and all the ingredients finely tuned to support millions of species of life... all by His power as Lord over all.

The third fact is brutal to our pride: God does not need us, or any of His creation for that matter. But He chooses to love and to care for what He has made. But worship from human beings does not add to God anything that is lacking. He does not need us, but He certainly does love us.

And finally, because of His love, God sustains the universe in an active way, continuing to provide in Creation all the things mankind needs to live and to breath and to go on living on the blue habitat we call Earth. And ultimately the spiritual side of this love and provision is known in Jesus, Whose death and resurrection provide for us eternal life. That life will be lived in a new heavens and a new earth (there is something God likes about a material universe... one will always exist). And those who are redeemed in Jesus will always know God’s continual love and care as His creation.

always to seek

You have said, “Seek my face.”

My heart says to you,

“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

Psalm 27:8

Deliverance begins with obedience. And obedi3nce is rooted in trusting God’s Word. David wrote this psalm all about God’s protection in life’s dangers. It was the story of his life in many ways. In fact, a vast number of David’s songs in the Book of Psalms deal with how David turned to God when he was literally under attack from people who wanted him dead.

David survived. And David’s faith was actually strengthened by these experiences. Adversity led him not to feed his doubt of God, but instead, to trust God all the more intensely. He found strength in crying out in prayer for the Lord’s care. He turned to obey God’s command. He trusted God’s Word.

I suppose it is easy to trust God, to say that I seek Him when things are going well. But when things are not going as I had hoped... when life gets hard... when I am misunderstood... when a conflict arises from an unexpected source... all these sorts of things become challenges to seeking God first. But David’s resolve informs what I must do.

Jesus phrased this sort of mindset eloquently in the Sermon on the Mount: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...” Jesus promised that our lives would be significant by so doing. And so I will seek... in good times and in hard times.

Jesus,

You said to seek your kingdom...

Your kingdom, Lord, I will seek.

Amen

citizens of the upside down kingdom

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

Matthew 11:25-26

Jesus saw His kingdom as a great reversal of what society would consider important. God would raise up, by His gracious will, simple people with childlike faith to believe and proclaim the gospel. It wasn’t about being mighty or big or outwardly impressive. In fact, the world’s powers were under fierce judgment.

It is best to understand what Jesus is saying here in context. In Matthew 11:1, the question comes from John the Baptist to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Jesus answers with a simple declaration of his ministry: “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” Jesus adds “blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matthew 11:4-6).

Jesus then extols the ministry of John the Baptist whose preaching and practice of baptism in repentance paved the way for Jesus to do all these things. He then chastises the fickle reception of John (and of Jesus) characterized by John being minimized as crazy because of His seclusion. Jesus says His own ministry was also minimized by people calling Him a glutton and drunkard for the opposite reason: Jesus closely connected to all the common people. Jesus then denounces the cities where all His great miracles were seen and then rejected. These “wise and understanding” people really were not. They were smugly lost in their rejection of God’s work.

All this then helps us understand that those who thought themselves to be wise and understanding really were not so because they rejected the gospel in the light of Jesus’ own miracles. And those who believed, with whom Jesus ate and drank, had the childlike faith, were blessed by the Father, and would be the citizens of His upside down kingdom. And this is still true for those who believe today.

the troubles of my heart

Turn to me and be gracious to me

for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

bring me out of my distresses.

Consider my affliction and my trouble,

and forgive all my sins.

Psalm 25:16-18

If we were to look at the way this psalm describes the state of David’s soul and translate it into modern therapeutic language, we would say that David is struggling with anxiety and depression. A contemporary visit to the doctor by David would probably find him receiving a couple of prescriptions for medicines to ease his symptoms. His presentation of his circumstances comes out in terms of clinical depression and he is very unhappy. He feels lonely. He feels like some outside forces are closing in on him. It fills his minds with troubled thoughts. There are extreme outside pressures he describes from people (Psalm 25:19). He is clearly suffering and is crying out for relief of this pain. Bring on the pharmaceutical correctors of chemical imbalances! But wait a minute here...

David knows that even though he has these painful feelings, they are not the root of his problems. He has a deeper soul need. That is why He cries out to God and expresses how his heart is feeling. He asks for God to act. He knows that grace, deliverance, and forgiveness are what his soul needs in order to find relief.

Twice already in this psalm David has pled for God to forgive his sin (see Psalm 25:7; 25:11). He knows what will get to the root of all these painful feelings and it isn’t a pill or “talking it out” to find the answers with a professional. What will get to the root is the grace of God, forgiving mercy, and full redemption that only God can provide. And so David prays a third time for God to take in all of his affliction and trouble and forgive all his sin (Psalm 25:18).

Grace can calm our troubled hearts. Forgiveness can bring peace when our own sins trouble us. God’s mercy can lift us above our painful feelings to rejoice in our great salvation. And that is why everyday I must preach the gospel to my own soul! It’s good for my overall well-being.

divisive discipleship

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:37

Jesus says some very hard things about discipleship in this extended “commissioning” of His twelve apostles. He has told them to expect persecution. He has told them that their message may not be warmly received. He has told them to expect that the preaching of the gospel will turn sinners against them. There is an edge to the truth that offends and cuts like a sword, and Jesus has brought this sword to the earth. Where this is not received, opposition will inevitably arise. And this opposition may get intensely person.

Jesus prepares us to be ready to find the dearest of our relationships divided over our allegiance to following Christian faith. Fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters will divide over Jesus. Ouch. The exclusive nature of discipleship will divide the closest of earthly relationships. Following Jesus is more important than even those people dearest to us. Love that parents have for their kids CANNOT be greater than their love for Christ. Children cannot love their parents more than Jesus. Love for Christ must inform all other relationships. This is very hard. It isn’t a happy experience.

My success as a disciple is not found in my family looking like a cover model for a Sunday School quarterly. Family is very important, obviously, but discipleship is about Jesus. People will be fickle. People (including me) will sin. And that sin disappoints us and hurts us. Jesus, however, will not. And so these words anchor my motivations for discipleship deeper than mere family or outward appearances. I must love Jesus most. My allegiance is exclusively to my Savior first before I even stand a chance of loving my family well. If my own family rejects Him, I will not.

Jesus,

I accept these hard words as the truth about following You. I want to be worthy of You, I want to follow You. I want those closest to me to follow You too. I want You to transform me as I am Your disciple. And You are my first love.

Amen

patriarch, provider, & prophet

So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years.

Genesis 50:22

Joseph died a patriarch, a provider, and a prophet. After his father Jacob’s death, the spiritual leadership of the Israelite clans fell to Joseph. This is seen most vividly in the role he took of being a blessing-giver and forgiver as this text shows us in the last act of his biography. After his father’s death, Joseph’s brothers worry that he might use his political position to punish them for the evil they did to him in his youth. They come to him yet again in repentance to beg his full pardon. And Joseph replies with all forgiveness, lack of vindication, grace, and insight: “what you meant for evil, God meant for good, to deliver us all.” His spiritual leadership of his family is secured in that wisdom.

Joseph is also still the provider for all of Israel’s children and grandchildren. The family is shown as thriving in Egypt due to his leadership and wisdom. And for at least a few generations the Israelites would grow and prosper there. The blessings God had promised Abram would be partially fulfilled as a nation slowly grew within another nation.

And the final words recorded from Joseph see him acting like a prophet. He tells the family as he dies that one day Israel will be led up out of Egypt again. On that day they must swear to carry his bones to the family burial plot in Canaan to re-inter his remains in the Promised Land. This serves as a fitting transition to the book of Exodus and shows us the bright vision that Joseph was given of the great redemptive work God was doing in Israel and eventually for the whole world. Joseph, the prophet, saw the deliverance to come, and by instructing the people to carry his bones with them in the Exodus, trusted God to be a part of what that greater work was going to be. His faith in what God was doing lasted beyond his own life and strengthened future generations!

was blind, but now I see

When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

Matthew 9:28-29

I can’t imagine any more wonderful personal encounter with Jesus than this one. Two blind beggars come to Jesus by faith, believing He can heal them and acknowledging Him as Lord. Because they believed Him, they were changed. Jesus touched them and they could see. And their first sight was Jesus! These men were healed and changed by the Lord they believed. Never again would they need to beg. They could live new lives now because Jesus brought light to their darkness and healing to their pain. Jesus transformed them with a touch.

It makes sense when thinking about conversion to describe our own spiritual transformations by Jesus in much the same way. We are all born totally lost, blinded by our sins, enemies of God, beggars for grace, already as good as dead. But the gospel draws those who hear it to consider Jesus. And when we believe it, giving credence to Him as Lord, we are transformed! Light from our Lord fills our darkness. We see Jesus and worship Him. We are changed. We are set free. We are given new life. It is wonderful!

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind but now I see.