March 23
Scripture of the day: "So they put him out. Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?' He answered, 'Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?' Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.' And he said, 'Lord, I believe.' And he worshiped Him." John 9:32-38
Thought of the day: Can you imagine the joy that this man felt after Jesus healed him? And he must have expected to share the joy with friends and family. But neighbors denied that he was the same man, John 9:9. His parents refused to defend him ... it would cost them too much, John 9:18-23. And the religious leaders excommunicated him. What had he done? He had walked to the pool ... and had been healed by Jesus.
Challenge of the day: Afterwards, Jesus found the man. The man, seeing the face of Jesus for the first time, believed and worshiped Him. His spiritual blindness had also been healed ... but what a high price he had paid. The life he could finally see was lost because of the One who gave him sight. Don't downplay the cost of following Jesus. And don't make your obedience to Him contingent on your acceptance by the world. Would you rather be accepted in the darkness or walk alone in the Light?
THIS DAILY BYTE OF THE WORD, COPYRIGHT 2014, WAS PRINTED LEGALLY FROM WWW.EBREAD.ORG. YOU MAY COPY IT, UNCHANGED, BUT ONLY WITH THIS SOURCE AND COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ATTACHED ... AND ONLY FOR FREE OR AT-COST DISTRIBUTION. BIBLE QUOTATIONS ARE FROM THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.