3 Mar, 2011

What Do You Need?

You look sick!  That was the first thing my doctor said when he saw me yesterday afternoon.  I felt sick.  My throat was swollen, it hurt to swallow and my ears were sore.

I opened up my mouth and said “ahhhh,” he asked me some questions, ran some tests and said I had strep throat.  He gave me a prescription for an antibiotic that will make me feel better.

You need to go to the doctor!  That’s what my best friend said to me last week when I was showing symptoms of not feeling well.  I couldn’t talk, was achy, had a fever, and just wanted to sleep.

Why did I wait so long to go see the doctor?  Why didn’t I take my friends advice a week ago?  For over seven days, I tried over the counter medicines, cough drops, hot tea, and more.  Nothing helped.  Until I went to the person who could help me.

Picture courtesy of fotosearch.com

God’s Story
Mark 10:46-52 (NIV)
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”  So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
    “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
   The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
   “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

 

What does today’s Scripture Story teach us about recognizing our needs?
This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  I love the fact that even when told (rebuked) to be quiet, Bartimaeus shouted all the more.  Jesus asked him very simply what do you want me to do for you? and Bartimaeus was ready with an answer.  He was specific.  He wanted to see.

How can we connect today’s God’s Story scripture to our lives?
When we have a need in our life, we should seek our Christ first of all.  We shouldn’t let others distract us or keep us from Jesus.  We should not be afraid to tell Him of our needs.

We also should be an encourager of people meeting Jesus and becoming His friend. 

How can we connect today’s story, God’s Story scripture, and our story to others?
• Have you been distracted by your surroundings that you are missing your time with Jesus?  Don’t let people around you keep you from your relationship with Christ.
• Has your life been an encouragement or a hindrance to your friends or co-workers in their relationship with the Father?
• Don’t let peer pressure or the world distract you from the most Important Person in your life.  You need to be able to hear and recognize His voice and you can only do that when you’re in a close relationship with Him.
• When you’re transparent about your relationship with Jesus, people around you will notice.  And when you share your need for Him, they will see the Lord shining through you.

If I had listened to my friend last week, I would be well on my way to recovery.  Now I’m just at the starting point.  I’m tired of being sick and I’m ready to get better. 

Now the question is: what do you want Jesus to do for you?

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The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

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