TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Luke 18:35-43
Is the sole purpose of faith to gain entrance into Heaven? Do we go to worship, read the Bible, serve, and pray because we are securing our place in the heavenly realm? Is faith just about salvation?
For years, I have hiked the mountains in Colorado. There are 58 mountains that rise above 14,000 feet into the air. In hiking these peaks, the goal is to summit. Summiting feels fantastic. You stand at the top, survey the amazing view that God created, and eat a donut. The summit is a worthy goal, but over the years I have realized that hiking is bigger than merely making it to the top. Hiking is about the journey, too.
Living a life of faith blesses you in so many tangible ways while on earth. In Luke 18, there is a blind beggar named Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46). He is sitting by the roadside begging for a livelihood. He cries out to the Lord, and the disciples attempt to quiet him down. But he refuses to go away silently. His faith in Christ causes him to request a miracle. In verse 42, Jesus says, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”
Faith preserves us and saves us. Think about all of the trouble that faith has saved you from in this world. Imagine all of the times your faith has delivered you from harmful temptation. Enjoy all of the great feelings that you have had happen by serving others because of your faith. Faith makes us well in a multiplicity of ways.
Today, I will…write a list of all of the ways in which my faith has blessed me.