Cry Out

Cry Out "When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Mark 10:47 This scripture tells us the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man that was healed by Jesus as He passed by, as he cried out to Jesus to heal him. I wonder whether Bartimaeus, would have been healed by Jesus if he had simply sat in silence when Jesus walked by. Would Jesus have stopped and turned toward him and touched him? Perhaps, but we do not know, but Bartimaeus cried out for his healing. There were a lot of blind people around during Jesus' earthly ministry. There were a lot of deaf people. There were a lot of people with leprosy. There were a lot of people with all kinds of physical problems. But Jesus didn't heal all of those people. In fact, we usually find in Scripture that Jesus responded to the people who called out to Him. In the case of Bartimaeus, he cried out, and his voice was heard. It probably helped that he shouted. We do not need to shout in our prayers, necessarily, but we do need to be persistent. What is your need today? Do you need a touch in your body, like Bartimaeus did? Then call out to Jesus. Do you have a child who needs to be healed? Do you have a marriage that needs help? Then call out to Jesus. And don't give up if the answer does not come quickly. Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV). When Jesus stopped to restore Bartimaeus' sight, He was on His way to the cross. He was on His way to die for the sins of the world - and for your sins and mine. Do you need His forgiveness today, or for some other need? Then call out to Jesus. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven August 31