Dear Explorer,
Read John 9:1-9
To understand the disciples' question, you've got to remember that the religious tradition of that day was a very simple (but wrong) formula. If you were good, God blessed you. If you sinned or were disobedient, God would send terrible things into your life. Therefore, if there was poverty or sickness or struggles of any type, you must have sinned.
Are our beliefs so much different today? Deep down doesn't the thought cross your mind, "What did I do to deserve this?" or “They must be really bad people for that to be happening in their lives!”
God says, "No!" That's not the way it works. Sickness and suffering happen to everyone in the human population. When we let God into our lives, He sometimes intervenes with a cure, or He may give us strength to endure it, but He always has things to teach us through it and He promises to be with us.
So many times we struggle to understand the "why" of a situation. Why is a child born with an illness? Why is there suffering? Why did I lose my job? Why did she die? Why did this turn out so wrong?
What was Jesus' answer in John 9:3?
Jesus' answer can be applied narrowly to this particular blind man or it can be applied generally to everything and everyone.
Do you believe God is working things out in your life in order to display His glory? When hurtful things happen -- can you look to God with trust in your eyes and say honestly, "I don't understand this, but I trust You." Do you trust God?
There's a term called “social drinker”. It refers to a person who doesn't normally drink, but when in the company of other drinkers will agree to join in. I want to steal that term and say that many of us are “social worriers”. It seems to be very popular to worry and fret about many things. Choosing to trust God boldly is going to set you apart from other people. They will think you are strange. But it might also make them notice that you are filled with Jesus.
Would you rather be known for your worries, or for your peace?
In His service, dale
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