“Two blind men…heard that Jesus was passing by….”—Matthew 20:30
A deluge of humanity followed Jesus as He made His way through Jericho. Suddenly, above the clamor, came the desperate screams of two men wedged among the sidelines. Two desperate blind men. They’d heard that Jesus was passing by, allowing a frighteningly brief chance to escape their darkness.
“Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David,” they screamed as loud as they could. Over here! Don’t pass us by!
Something—maybe the emotion in their voices or because they were beggars—irritated the crowd. “Be quiet,” they commanded.
But that was gas to the fire, as the blind men cried out even more vehemently for Jesus’ attention.
And they got it. Matthew tells us that Jesus stood still and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Two desperate men didn’t care what anyone thought; they didn’t care about being dignified. They didn’t care who heard them, as long as Jesus did. As a result, they received the precious gift of eyesight.
At some point, we will find ourselves in a desperate place. What do you do? How desperate are you?
I suggest that you shout to the Lord. Shouting is a way of saying, “I’m not messing around. I’m serious right now.”
I’ve been in dark places where I felt very desperate. I got alone with God and shouted: “Lord, I need You NOW; I need angels – something! Show up! Help!”
I’ve had times when I’ve cried out and received immediate help; other times nothing seemed to happen. But I felt the Lord watching me and saying, “I know; I’m coming; hang in there.”
We have to persist in crying out to Him. When the instant answer didn’t come, I had to dig even deeper in seeking God. I’ve gone to deeper places than I knew even existed. Sometimes God allows this because it drives pillars of truth and faith deep into our spirit—pillars that will carry us throughout life.
Do we allow our desperation to work for us this way or will we be like those who say, “Yeah, I prayed, and nothing happened; I shouted, and God didn’t show up.”
Do we put God on a timer and if He doesn’t come according to our bidding and understanding, then we conclude that He’s not there for us and doesn’t care?
If we don’t get the instant answer, we declare our belief in His character, His goodness, and His commitment to us. “I’m not letting go,” we tell Him; “I will persistently cry out to You until help comes; until I’m vindicated.”
That’s the faith that opens the door to heaven’s resources.
The blind men didn’t just shout to Jesus once then succumb to the crowd’s discouragement. No, they were serious, and their persistence moved Jesus.
The Lord is always moved by our desperate prayers. We don’t need to apologize for them…we need to persist and hang in there for the answer.
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”—Jeremiah 29:13
