Take a few deep breaths to center your heart and your mind as you prepare to meet with God.

Meditation

In the Bible’s account of creation, we read that God provides the first humans with a delicious, healthy diet that eternally sustains them, responsibility to tend his garden that gives purpose to their life, and a flourishing relationship with Him. From the first day we were with God, he has been providing for us. Take a moment and thank God for all the ways he has provided for you, your friends, and your family.

Teaching

Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. (Mark 10:46-52)

God rarely calls the equipped, but He always equips the called.

There is a common theme between the people Jesus applauds with his words. The widow who gives her last two coins to the temple’s offering plates, the tax collector in Jesus’ parable in Luke 18, and most of the people Jesus heals all have something in common: desperation. They can’t see with their own two eyes, buy enough food to live on with their wallet, or walk on their own two legs, and because of that, they need help. They live on the help of caretakers and generous bystanders, and this desperation bleeds into their relationship with God.

As soon as blind Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was approaching, his cry for desperation pierced through the crowd that was following Jesus. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” His words almost perfectly echo a tax collector that Jesus praises in a parable that he tells in Luke 18. After hearing a high, lofty, self-righteous prayer from a religiously elite person, that tax collector beats his chest and says, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.” These prayers are simultaneously saturated with hopelessness and hope. The hopelessness comes from their totally helpless situation, but their hope is that maybe, by some miracle, Jesus would see their absolute need for His presence in their life.

Maybe as you read or listen to this, you do have a life-altering condition. If so, Jesus hears your cry. But maybe you aren’t blind. Maybe you aren’t deaf. Maybe you have full use of your legs and aren’t on your last two coins. If you are in this boat like I am, it is very likely that we have fooled ourselves into thinking that we can do it on our own, but the truth is far from that. We may be able to feed ourselves today, but we are not promised this for tomorrow. We may be able to provide for ourselves out of our savings and wealth today, but these things are not impenetrable and unable to be removed from our possession. 

Lucky for us, God does not require us to perfectly provide for ourselves. As He says through one of the first missionaries of the church, “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.” When Bartimaeus receives his sight from Jesus, he is not only healed, but he is chosen out of his weak state. When he receives his sight, he gets up to follow his healer, his provider, and the one who provides everything he needs. No matter our situation, God is our only invincible provider, faultless caretaker, and steadfast shelter from the storms of this life. If we only knew how much God takes care of us now, we would all cry out with Bartimaeus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Examination

Psalm 121 starts with these words: “I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” It has been popularly said that “God helps those who help themselves,” but Jesus seems to clearly say the opposite in his earthly ministry: “God helps those who can’t help themselves.” Take a moment and ask yourself: Where in my life do I feel self-reliant, and where in my life do I feel desperate for God’s help?

Now, ask yourself this: Do I feel desperate for God’s friendship?

Memory Verse

As you go throughout your day today, speak these words from Mark 10:47 in a way that annoys your self-reliance and interrupts the busyness of your day:

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47)