“Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me”(Matt 11:4-6). What wonderful good news Jesus gave to the disciples of John the Baptist! The gospel was being preached and physical miracles were taking place. The prophecies in Isaiah were being fulfilled that only the coming Messiah could complete. Why then would John lose faith in Christ and tell his disciples to find Jesus and ask Him, “are you the one or should we look for another (Mt 11:3)?”

Perhaps it was because John was in prison and King Herod was about ready to have him beheaded! John’s physical reality caused him to question what he professed to believe. What about his deliverance? What about his miracle? John had prepared the way for the Messiah  to set up HIS Kingdom (Is 40:3). His life’s calling and purpose was in doubt. John’s idea of a reigning Messiah did not tolerate this kind of injustice. Doubt and unbelief silently crept into his dark prison cell. The devil, like a roaring lion was encircling John the Baptist; ready to kill him and his witness of Jesus Christ. If the devil could get John to have disbelief and regret for proclaiming Jesus, then John’s claims of the Messiah would be lacking creditability. In fact, all of John’s life and dedication to God would be called into question. In His response to the inquiry made by John’s disciples, Jesus, lovingly told them to convey to John not to be offended by Him (Greek scandalizo-to trip up, trapped, ensnared). John was not to lose faith or be ensnared by the devil because of the trial he was in.

I have often wondered what happened to all the people after they were healed by Jesus (Mt 11:4-6) . Would they have been offended because physical healing did not fulfill all their expectations? Would they have lost their testimony because of persecution? Many probably wanted a healing so they could return to their old lifestyle. Others genuinely were converted to become living testimonies to God’s saving and healing power. Others may have been persecuted and forced to distant lands, thrown in prison or martyred for their faith in Christ. Some of us are also going through or may soon enter into trials that test our faith. The devil wants to steal our testimony and destroy our life by wearing us down. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another” (Mt 24:9, 10). Be of good cheer, Christ has overcome the world! The trial of your faith is more precious than gold and our suffering is never wasted. God bottles every tear. You are so precious in His sight and He is not slack concerning His promises.

I continue to believe God for healing despite the many setbacks and losses I have faced. I get impatient at times and wonder why I still believe the dream/visitation I had one night In March 1998, while visiting Arizona. Jesus was loving and so personal throughout my encounter with Him that particular night; He put His hope and faith in me for healing. Although visibly and otherwise, it would appear impossible to fulfill the quest given to me; I cannot ignore, justify or reason it away. I just cannot shake it! I think of it daily; it has kept me alive. It is through patiently enduring  that we inherit the promises (Heb 6:12-15). God is working patience in my soul and wants me to depend on Him to fulfill what He has started (Rom 4:20,21). GLORY be to GOD!! Although I may get impatient and falter because my prayers have not been answered in the way and within the time I wanted them; I have set my heart not to be offended in Christ. I don’t want to let the enemy project to my mind that God does not have my best interest for HIS GLORY as the over ruling determiner. Only He really knows the works of believing I am to do for Him (Jn 6:29) . We overcome the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, not loving our lives to the death” (Rev 12:11). Fellow believer, we are to rejoice and trust Him during the trying of our faith.

The enemy of our soul wants to trip us up, causing us to lose faith in our loving Father and to think that there is no way out and we are stuck in a hopeless situation. As we pray for understanding and bring our petitions to the Father; stand on the promises in the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will give you grace and enlarge your capacity to withstand testing. Hold onto the promises and direction God ministers to you in particular. The promise for your future is an anchor for your soul and gives you steadfastness to endure. What has God ministered to you personally? His thoughts toward you are good and not of evil to give you an expected end; seek His face and cling to the promises He imparts to you.

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (Jm 1:3, 4)

 Scott Brodie Praises w/daughters July 25 2010

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 am and is filed under Arizona visitation, Journal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.