Thursday, June 17, 2021

The Conversion of the Men (Matt. 9:29-30a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/17/2021 8:51 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  The Conversion of the Men

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Matthew 9:29-30a

 

            Message of the verses:  29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." 30 And their eyes were opened.”

 

            The first thing that I want to say is that this is going to be a very short SD, but then that is ok since what it is about is very important.

 

            I have watched fake TV evangelists who say that they are healers make a big fanfare out of what they do.  One man Earnest Angele (not sure if the spelling is right) will “work” on someone who has a problem and then yell out “HEEEEEAL.”  I suppose if he had all that “Holy Spirit” power that he should just go into all the hospitals and yell “heeeeal” and empty all the hospital wards.  In contrast we read in this passage that Jesus without fanfare or superficial drama simply “touched their eyes, saying, ‘Be it done to you according to your faith.’  MacArthur adds “According to your faith’ signifies that the extent of Jesus’ ministry to these men was based on the measure of their personal faith in Him.  Faith is the means by which men receive the salvation God graciously gives.  In light of their confession and of Jesus’ specific mention of their ‘faith,’ it seems certain that more than ‘their eyes were opened.’  Their trust in Jesus Christ likely bought salvation as well as healing.  He gave them spiritual life as well as physical sight.”

 

            We will conclude this SD with a quotation from Archbishop Richard Trench who comments on this section, which is included in MacArthur’s commentary.

 

            “The faith which in itself is nothing is yet the organ for receiving everything.  It is the conducting link between man’s emptiness and God’s fulness, and herin lies all the value faith has.  Faith is the bucket let down into the foundation of God’s  grace, without which the man could never draw water of life from the wells of salvation.  For the wells are deep, and of himself man has nothing to draw with.  Faith is the purse which cannot of itself make its owner rich, and yet effectually enriches by the wealth which it contains.”

 

I had the pleasure of reading this quote to our small revival prayer group last evening.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I often do and continually need to drop my faith bucket into the well of the Lord.

 

6/17/2021 9:12 AM

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