More and more I am convinced that the peace everyone so desperately wants is ONLY found in the One Who stands at the door of your heart knocking to come into your life. Did you ever play “Blind Man’s Bluff” when you were a kid with your friends? Let me explain the rules of the game:
Blind man’s buff is played in a spacious area, such as outdoors or in a large room, in which one player, designated as “It”, is blindfolded and feels around attempting to touch the other players without being able to see them, while the other players scatter and try to avoid the person who is “it”, hiding in plain sight and sometimes teasing them to influence them to change direction. When the “it” player catches someone, the caught player becomes “it” and the catcher flees from them.
Now think about the world we live in, Jesus tells us in Matthew 13:15:
“For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears, they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”
2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us:
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
This shows that spiritual blindness is not always a personal choice but can be the result of spiritual forces working against God’s truth.
Matthew 15:14 says the following:
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
Except in this case, the “game” is a bit reversed… We who have had our spiritual eyes opened by Holy Spirit by choosing to accept Jesus’ gift of salvation and hungrily have Him be Lord OVER our lives are the “It” person – NOT blinded but with sight, the ones who CAN see, while those AROUND us are the blinded ones running AWAY from being touched as we try to reach out the truth of God’s gift to others so that they in turn can also become “It” people and do the same. Often, we who are followers of Christ (God’s Called Remnant, Born-Again believers) are mocked, ridiculed, persecuted, ostracized, poked fun at, called “Jesus Freaks” and rejected because of our faith. Why? Because those that are around us the devil has blinded to the truth of God because he wants to take as MANY as he can down to the destruction that is his soon to be coming fate because he knows how loved we who are created in God’s image are… John 3:16 tells us how very much God has shown (and is showing) His love for us, in EVERY way He can:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
The persecution and mocking and all of the above was no stranger to Jesus Who has endured it all. Peter even tells us in 1 Peter 4:12-14:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”
Matthew 5:10-12 tells us:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
In John 15:20 Jesus tells us:
“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”
The peace that the blind world is seeking to alleviate through “politics” through “money” through “prestige” through “greed” through ALL kinds of things other than the ONE way they can find it, which can ONLY be found in Christ Jesus and Him alone. Ironically and sadly the One Who patiently we are told stands at the door of their lives knocking to come in as found in the Book of Revelations 3:20:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me”
But we are to continue to be God’s “It person” and not grow weary of shining the light of Christ through OUR lives which we have given to Him. For we KNOW the truth of where “the peace that passes ALL understanding” can be found – ONLY in Him! And I’ll tell you what I know after belonging to Jesus for 37 years – the light of Christ that is seen in you, His follower is one that attracts the spiritually blinded like a moth is fascinated to a light. Not sure “what” it is that makes you SO different, curious about it wanting to draw closer to you and understand what it is that sets you apart. Is it the patience you are showing them? Is it the love you are displaying? Whatever that Christ-like quality that is radiating from you is – even in their blinded status, the part deep within them that was made SOLELY to be in fellowship with the One TRUE God is attracted to that in you. You may not be able to freely speak scripture to them if their hearts are not soft enough to receive it, but you CAN live out your faith before them. You CAN intercede in prayer for them. You CAN show the fruit of the spirit (and by that, I mean what it says in Galatians 5:22-23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
That is not something the world is use to seeing in this “me, me, me” society that we live in. Jesus instructs us in John 13:34-
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. y this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Dear Reader, this walk called life is not easy, this world is NOT the environment that God created us to live in, if you read the Book of Genesis you will see that, but whatever we go through, whatever we encounter in life we can be assured if we have accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation; been redeemed and have become His; chosen to make Him Lord OVER our lives that He goes before us, He IS with us EVERY step of the way. We CANNOT “save” anyone, nor can we change hearts. While we CAN radiate the love of Christ and be the Light of Christ and intercede on behalf of others, it is ONLY Holy Spirit that can draw them unto Christ, Holy Spirit is the ONLY One Who can break up the hardened ground of someone’s heart to open up blind eyes to see, we are simply a vessel unto Him. But we can pray, we can shine, we can live lives that make a different in Him for all to see. That peace that the world is SO desperately grasping for can ONLY be found in Christ Jesus. And if God has placed us in the world for such a time as this to be His “It person” (part of His Called Remnant to reach others by shining for the beacon of Jesus’ light through our lives) what an honor and a privilege to be Christ’s Ambassador to reach others who are blinded as we ourselves were and direct them to the One Who IS the Way, Who IS the Life, Who IS the Light. The One Who is the King of Peace and Restoration and Light. There IS no greater joy than turning others into Jesus’ “It people” – So I say to you who are my brothers and sisters in Christ – “Tag, your it…”
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