I Once Was Blind, But Now I See

“All I know is that I was blind and now I can see for the first time in my life!” John 9:25b

I was reading this story a few days ago about the man who was born blind. Jesus healed a man by smearing mud all over the blind man’s eyes. This is a story of God’s faithfulness. I had forgotten a good part of the rest of the story. However, after he was healed, the man was questioned twice by the religious leaders. They could not believe their eyes, and the man could “only” believe because his eyes could now see.

The leaders were looking for any reason they could to get rid of Jesus. The wanted to conclude with finality that He was a fraud. They asked the man many questions. After many attempts to answer them, he finally just said, “Look, I don’t know who, what, or where this man is, but one thing I do know…I was blind, and now I see. Let my story speak for itself.” (I’m obviously paraphrasing.) There are two main impacts I have gleaned from this verse. 

The first is that sometimes, God ,in His graciousness gives us a visible and tangible occurrence to spur on our belief as well as our experience of the “invisible.” The man didn’t know anything about Jesus. However, he he already believed in Him because of the experience he had with Him. And even when he later learned more about Him, it was the drastic change in his life that would remind him of God’s character if he ever had any doubt.

God gives us these times as stones of remembrance for other times. He gives them to us when it is hard to see or believe what we know to be true. These experiences make the truth of Who God is very real for us. They also help us to choose daily to walk in the fullness of freedom that He died to give us. They solidify the confidence we can have in His love. His faithfulness is on display.

The second lesson learned is seen again in the man’s response to his interrogators. But it goes to show an important key in sharing the gospel with others. We sometimes get caught up in thinking that it is our good works that will draw others to Jesus, or that how well we know the Bible will bring conversions. We think we might need the perfect words spoken about the perfect God, when sometimes, the most powerful witness we can share is simply our story.

If we tell someone that God loves them, it might not mean as much to them because they may not have “experienced” that love. But if we share just how God has loved “us” and changed our whole world, they might begin to wonder if He just might do the same for them. My brother is a pastor, and he always shares some amazing points at the beginning of his sermons. But he ends with a story. Every time I hear the story, the impact of those points he made beforehand just explode in my heart. They ring true for me because of the story!! Again, we see God’s faithfulness.

Those who don’t know Him might come to know Him because of Who He has been for you! Tell your story! You don’t have to know everything about Him. But because you were blind, and now you see, you have made an invisible God visible to those who are looking. The blind man became a walking miracle as he shared proof of his newfound sight. We too can be the proof needed for others to know God’s heart. What stones of remembrance do you have as pillars of proof of God’s faithfulness, and in what ways will you share them with others today?