Jesus said to the blind man, “Go and wash yourself and receive your sight.” The man obeyed, washed himself, and he received his sight.
The identity of God is hidden in complete mystery. God cannot be fully understood by human beings. The more you try to understand Him completely, the more you realize how deep and beyond comprehension He is. God is the only one who can make the impossible possible. When human beings say something cannot be done, God can turn it around. He can transform nothing into something. He can take a rejected stone and make it the cornerstone. He can also transform a rejected family into an accepted and honored one.
The same God who controls our lives healed the man who was born blind. When the miracle happened, many people gathered, including the Pharisees, and arguments began. The Jews did not believe the miracle. When the disciples asked Jesus, “Was this man born blind because of his sin or the sin of his parents?” Jesus answered that it was not because of sin, but so that the glory of God might be revealed through him.
When you depend only on human beings, you will often be disappointed. But when you depend on God, you will find fulfillment.
In the first reading, we hear about the sons of Jesse. At first, nobody paid attention to the one whom God had chosen. Yet there was a king in that house..When the prophet Samuel went to Jesse’s house, the first son appeared strong and impressive, and Samuel thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here.” But God told him, “This is not the one. Look further.”
The Scriptures remind us. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. All seven sons passed before Samuel, yet none of them was chosen. Samuel became confused and asked, “Are these all your sons?”. Jesse had forgotten about David, who was in the bush tending sheep. While David was in the wilderness, God was preparing him. It was in that bush that he learned courage and strength, which later enabled him to defeat Goliath.
Sometimes God allows us to remain hidden so that we can prepare ourselves. Many young people today are in a hurry to reach the top of life. If you find yourself in a difficult or humble situation, stay there and prepare yourself. Do not rush. David prepared himself in the bush. Young people should use this period of their lives to prepare for the future, instead of moving from place to place searching for quick wealth.
When David eventually became king, he wrote in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” He also said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” David could say this because he knew that God had prepared him and had prepared a table before him in the presence of his enemies.
It is only those who have enemies that God prepares a table for in their presence. David became a testimony of God’s mercy. He said, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” God chose David and showed him great mercy.
The Scriptures encourage us to come boldly into the presence of God. When you dwell in the house of the Lord, extraordinary things happen. David once said, “How can I live in a house of cedar while the Ark of the Lord remains in a tent? I will build a temple for the Lord.” But God told him that one of his sons would build the temple.
David was forgotten in the bush. Your parents may forget you. Your brothers and sisters may forget you. Friends and society may forget you. But God will never forget you. Just as David was not forgotten by God, you too will not be forgotten.
When it is your turn, protocols will change for you. When David finally came before Samuel, God said, “Arise and anoint him; this is the one.” David had been misjudged by his father and even by Samuel at first. Yet God chose him.
May the Spirit that came upon David come upon you. And when the day comes for God to announce you to the world, it will not take two days.