by David Scott Robertson
"He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?' He looked up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around.' Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly" (Mark 8:23-25).
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The Gospel of Mark relates a wonderful story and a tremendous truth from the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we find the account of an anonymous (to us but not to God) blind man who received a supernatural touch from the Master's hand.
In a moment of time, the man went from being totally blind to being able to see shapes and shadows of people that looked to him like trees walking around. Not bad visual improvement, wouldn't you say?
If that were to happen in our day and age, we would call that a modern miracle! We would be watching documentaries about it on cable TV.
Think about it! A man, presumably sightless from birth, suddenly being able to see form and color and light! Why, perhaps with a pair of corrective lenses or contacts, the man might even be able to see well enough to read and work and drive a car!
But at the period of history when Jesus walked the earth, astigmatism and glasses and contacts were unknown. Good thing that Jesus didn't quit before the job was done, huh?
Aren't you glad that God never does things halfway? The Lord didn't touch this poor blind fellow only to have him walk around "half-whole." No, Jesus didn't stop healing until the blind man's eyes were opened, his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.
That's the nature of God - He never does anything halfway. He doesn't abandon the job in the middle because He gets tired or bored. He never takes a break and when He returns He forgot what He was doing. He never gives up on a task because He just can't seem to figure it out. Wrong! Nope! Never! Uh-uh!
Aren't you glad that God never does anything halfway? Aren't you glad that God completed six full days of creation and didn't stop at three? Aren't you glad that when God made you
He didn't quit at one eye, one ear, one lung, one arm, and one leg? Aren't you glad that God made the day but He also made the night? Aren't you glad that He made summer but He also made winter? Aren't you glad that God didn't stop creating when He made man but persevered and made woman (and the men said "amen"!)?
God is not like most of us who are world-class starters but poor finishers! God is not like those of us who make New Year's resolutions and abandon them before the month is out. God never had a good intention that just didn't pan out. Never halfway, that's our God!
If God has started something in your life trust Him to finish it. Bear in mind, though, that He always keeps His end of the bargain but may be waiting on you to fulfill your end of the deal.
"…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).
DSR
5/1/05