From Dan McClain…

John 9:1-12 (NLT) Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ² “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” ³ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ⁴ We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.The night is coming, and then no one can work. ⁵ But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”  ⁶ Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. ⁷ He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! ⁸ His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” ¹⁰ They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” ¹¹ He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”  ¹² “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied.

 

For several years now I have been receiving treatment for an eye condition called Uveitis. I’m not going to go into all the details about it, but it is an eye condition that if untreated is the third largest cause of blindness. Twelve years ago when I was first diagnosed, the primary concern was finding the cause. There are several very bad diseases that my condition is an indicator for and the doctors needed to check me for them, which thankfully I had none. After that phase the doctors simply moved forward with treating the symptoms of uveitis. Gradually over time the treatments have needed to become more invasive and aggressive.

I have prayed countless times over the years for healing. I have friends that have prayed for healing. I remember a few months ago when I was having to have a new kind of injection in my left eye, sitting in a chair and preparing myself for this new procedure and, quite frankly begging, for God to use this new medicine to heal me.  Then two follow ups later I was told that the medicine worked but it was only going to be short term. While this didn’t cause me to lose faith in my Healer, I was disappointed.

Back in November I was chatting and catching up with a couple of my relatives who were asking about my eyes. The conversation was heading toward a “poor Dan” phase, when God reminded me of this truth. In His way and His timing, not mine, He has cured and provided for me.

I may still have Uveitis today but God has provided me with sight. If I had been born in 1928 instead of 1978 there wouldn’t have been the treatment opportunities that I have access to today. Or that one of the top three doctor’s in this country for my condition being located in Chicago. A doctor that’s made this condition his life’s work is only a two and a half hour drive from my front door. This thought amazed me. In John 9 Jesus heals the blind man with dirt and His own saliva and I believe that in 2014 God has allowed me to continue to have sight by placing me into existence precisely when and where He did. As I shared this thought with my family I had a perspective change on all the temporary treatments and discomforts I have to experience. All these things are a blessing and God’s provision for my sight.

Often times when we are in a valley of life or going through a struggle, it can be hard to see God’s hand on the situation. Only when we look in the rear view mirror at the road behind us, can we see how God provided, protected and prepared us for the road ahead. Thankfully, through God’s timing and grace, I get to keep looking.

My prayer for you is that as you read this, that you remember or realize how God has protected and provided for you in the past and present. Don’t let that truth remain hidden in you. Offer prayers of thanksgiving to God, shout to the Lord, then share your story with others just like the blind man. Share your story at mystory@crosspointcc.org.

 

“Shout to the Lord” by Chris Tomlin

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

Let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King;

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,

Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand,

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.