This blog deals a lot with the walls (allowed circumstances) of our life and the matter of perspective in those circumstances.
Part of the process of gaining true perspective is to understand just how short that life truly is. Some call it "Getting a grip on the reality of reality". It is an understanding of the fact that life truly is a vapor. (See: Just a Vapor )
The thing is about this reality grip is that it forces you to acknowledge the walls that we try so hard to deny or even to hide. (See: My Most Recent Wall )
This past August in the post ( Experience over Sight ) We looked at the blind man in John chapter nine. I want to go back to this story but I want to look at an entirely different aspect of this story.
In this story I find the entire story of "The Man and The Wall".
The Story behind the story
"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." ~John 9:1-7
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." ~John 9:1-7
Good people speculate on everything from his sins to the sins of his parents. Notice Jesus' response to the question because this is the same as in anytime a circumstance is allowed by God outside of our own doing.
"...but that the works of God should be made manifest in him...."
Wow! So that the Labor of God should be declared or presented in him!
This man was created for the sole purpose of displaying God's love and labor.
My wall (Allowed by God Circumstances) is the most valuable thing that I own in this lifetime.
It is not a setback, it is in fact the introduction card for me to see Father on a completely different plane and understanding. One that He desires me to see Him on.
If you are in the middle of the fight of your life as you read this post I want to say to you above any other thing that I could hope to say.
"Don't give up!"
NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT!
The day that we can look at the walls in our life in the way that God intended for us to see them will not only be the best day of our life, but it will be the start of our new step of relationship with Him!
One of the biggest walls that I had to struggle with and climb was the wall of religion.
I lived a majority of my life faithfully pursuing a God who wasn't. The God I was told about was far from the God that wanted to have a relationship with me so badly that He sent His only son Jesus to give His life on a cross for me, raise from the dead and empower me with His Spirit.
The picture of God that I had painted for me was more like The godfather than God the Father. HE loved me? yes, but He also was waiting to break my legs of I crossed Him. If I did not give Him 10% He would TAKE it from me in doctor bills, and hurt my family. It was not about a relationship, it was about walking on egg shells.
He was like an impatient parent. He loved me enough to produce me, yet was always annoyed whenever I was hanging around.
I longed to be loved and desired just for who I was made to be.
My thought was that if I did more than the average bear for Him, then I would score the heavenly picnic basket of God's approval, love, and acceptance.
This was a wall that loomed larger than life on my path.
I found myself in a religious environment that extended value, love, and acceptance based upon activity, productivity, complete agreement with the leader, and service.
It was during this time of struggle that I looked up at that wall and cried out to God and asked, "Father, why did you move me into this mess?"
The answer came immediately into my spirit.
"Dan, I moved you here in order to show you that the mindset and motivation that you answer to now is exactly how you see me.
I am nothing like what you see presented to you on a daily basis...nothing like that."
I began to weep and just love my Father for who He truly is. He had used my wall to introduce Himself to me and invite me into a relationship with Him.
My wall is precious to me!It is more valuable to me than most of my life experiences.
I would go through it again if that is what it would take to bring me into the relationship dynamic that i now enjoy with Father.
I bet that the blind man had an appreciation and value that he placed on mud after that day.
When he climbed his wall, interestingly enough, he was no longer valued by the "religious" crowd and they could not get him out of their place of "worship" fast enough!
In verse 34, the leader of the church comes at him puffed up and surrounded by pay rolled backup and basically shouts, "Who do you think you are? We have degrees and doctorates and more years under our belt being busy doing things in God's name. Who do you think you are to try to assume that you might know something about God that we don't?"
I LOVE verse 35!!!
"Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" ~John 9:35
Jesus was not welcomed in the "religious" mess either. He heard about the man and then He went and found him, and when He found the man, He spoke to him.
The wall that this man faced had led him to a relationship with Jesus!
WOW!!!!
It is a principle that is so simple and yet so profound!
Father loves you with a reckless, ever reaching and crazy love!
He is crazy about you and personally designed your path with every wall in place to pull you up into a relationship with Him.
Once the Holy Spirit leads you into this truth, you will forever live your life with the unconscious and automatic whisper of the words...
"Thank you for my wall"
Climbing with you,
~Dan
The pictures for this post as well as for the upcoming new website were taken by:
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