Verse of the Day 8/30

Through the Bible - Psalms 129-131, 2 Corinthians 9

 

Yesterday we considered "THE LORD IS THERE" from the book of Ezekiel and how we as Christians realize that He is always near us, around us, and we have His Spirit living in us.

 

Non Christians, unbelievers may scoff at the idea of God, or feel that if there is a God, that he is far off and not involved in and does not impact our lives, that he is a god that doesn't care. 

 

For today's verse we'll go to Mark 7.  I'd like for you to see what this verse has to say about the God who would send His Son to us, and what Jesus reveals to us about His, about the Father's character in this verse.

 

Mark 7:34 New King James Version (NKJV)  ³⁴ Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
 

Here, Jesus heals a deaf person with the simple command "be opened".  But an easily overlooked part can be the simple words "He sighed".  What does it show to us that Jesus sighed before healing the man.

 

Max Lucado writes in a devotional in "3:16", I'd never thought of God as one who sighs.  I'd thought of God as one who commands.  I'd thought of God  as one who called forth the dead with a command or created the universe with a word... but a God who sighs?."  He continues, "in the agony of Jesus lies our hope.  Had he not sighed, we would be in a pitiful condition.  Had he simply chalked it all up to the inevitable or washed his hands of the whole stinking mess, what hope would we have?"  

 

But we do have a God who cares, a God who understands our situation, a God who sighs, and this gives us hope.

 

What is that to me?  That's a question that is asked and answered in an old song "He's Everything to Me" that we used to sing in Sunday School.

 

What is that to me?

Till by faith I met Him face to face,
and I felt the wonder of His grace,
Then I knew that He was more  than just a
God who didn't care,
That lived a way out there and

Now He walks beside me day by day,
Ever watching o'er me lest I stray,
Helping me to find that narrow way,
He's Everything to me.  - Ralph Carmichael

 

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Mark 7:31-37

New King James Version (NKJV)  Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute 

³¹ Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. ³² Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. ³³ And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴ Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
³⁵ Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶ Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. ³⁷ And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."