A Year 4 Transformation: Day 206-Digging Deep to Avoid Quitting

Passage of the Day:

A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” ²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” ²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” ²⁷ He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” ²⁸ Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! ²⁹ We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” ³⁰ The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes, John 9:24-30.

Reflection:

Legalism within today’s Christian church has caused many to abandon the practice of attending church regularly. These modern-day Pharisees give the love of Jesus a bad name, causing spiritual harm that some individuals never recover from. While a man blind from birth is trying to celebrate the miracle of seeing for the first time, the Pharisees were offended that Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath. Although this man’s parents were afraid of the Pharisees, this healed man dug deep, refusing to remain silent.

Prayerful Action:

“We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. ³² Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing,” John 9:31-33.

Working Out Your Salvation:

The subtle transformation of this former blind man in remarkable. This healed man begins by telling others that a man named Jesus healed him in John 9:11. When speaking to the Pharisees in John 9:17, this former blind man refers to Jesus as a prophet. Although John doesn’t specifically refer to this, this healed man realizes within his heart, soul and mind that Jesus has to be more than a mere man. Rather than succumb to the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees, this healed man enters into a personal relationship with Jesus in John 9:38. Sometimes believing in God’s plan for your life requires digging deep inside your soul to avoid quitting your faith journey.

Song of the Day:

Some Christian songs are theologically flawed but have a great sound. As for Dig Dug, I’m not sure the actual meaning, but I do know this song talks about digging deep spiritually. Becoming a Christian is like eating a box of chocolates, you never know exactly what’s going to taste. In the end, keep digging down deep to avoid quitting.

by Jay Mankus