All In . . .

Greetings all! Got up early this morning, feeling kinda half-and-half, but I pressed on . . . in the Name of the Lord :) After I fertilized my rose bushes and saw how they perked up, it reminded me that I could probably do with a little 'deep' feeding of my own. So, I picked up on my study of the Book of Mark (one of the Gospels I rarely read). And it dawned on me how so many things in nature are a physical manifestation of a deeper spiritual truth. Just like my poor roses responded to physical food, our poor souls are in desperate need of spiritual food, as well. (. . . hmm, maybe that's why Jesus taught us by parables; 'cause if we can't see it, us humans don't get it.) But I digress . . .
When I got to Mark 10:50, the tears stopped me in my tracks. I saw something I'd never seen before. This, as you know, is the story of blind Bartimaeus who sat beside the highway begging; that is until he heard that Jesus was passing by. Then, he stopped his begging and began to cry out for Jesus to have mercy on him. The people then were like the people now, and they tried to shut him up. But Bartimaeus cried out all the more, until Jesus heard him and called for him to come. And then verse 50 says, "And he (blind, begging, spitefully-treated Bartimaeus), casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus." Wow! Do you see it? In spite of his long-standing condition, Bartimaeus believed that Jesus could change his life, so much so, that he cast away his comfort zone, his 'paci', his yesterday's covering and came to Jesus just as he was . . . all in. It was Jesus or nothing! He forsook his old life in hope of the new life in Jesus.
This, of course, reminded me of Abraham when God commnded him to sacrifice his only, beloved son, the promised son of his old age, Isaac. If you read the account, you'll see he didn't hesitate; he took all the necessary implements--the wood, the fire, the knife; and he told his servants to stay behind. And, then, he made a curious statement--his confession of faith in the God that had commanded him to do such a thing. "And Abraham said unto his young men, 'Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again unto you.'" (Genesis 22:5) Double-Wow!! Abraham so trusted God that he believed that he and his son would come back down off that mountain . . . together. He believed God for a miracle! He was . . . all in! And guess what, it was when Abraham raised the knife to sacrifice his son, that God did provide for him a ram in the bush!
A few pages over in Mark, Jesus made His disciples (us included) an awesome promise. Jesus said, "Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Blind Bartimaeus believed. He was . . . all in. And he received his sight 'immediately' when Jesus said to him, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole."
Our faith will make us whole, too, when we put it in Jesus Christ . . . alone. And we'll see our prayers answered when we are . . . all in!

Pray to Pray (by :jeanetta britt/Third Ear/www.jbrittbooks.com)

Do you get off your knees
In Jesus' name
And strike out in faith
Your desires to claim?

Or do you pray to pray
Over and over again
Not mixing it with faith
Trusting the Master's plan?

The Gentile woman
Didn't quit her plea
Until crumbs from God's table
She believed to see.

Blind Bartimaeus
To Jesus called aloud
For his blessing from the Lord
He struggled through the crowd.

That certain, weary woman
With the issue of blood
Jesus' hem she touched
And healing faith did flood.

Jesus told the lame man,
'Your bed, take up and walk,'
But he'd still be crippled
If he thought it was just talk.

Jesus said, 'Ask,
And it shall be given
In His name,
Seek and ye shall find.

Knock, and the door
Shall be open unto you.'
When you pray
Do you think He is lying?

Prayer takes faith
Without action, it's dead
Praying is believing
What the Lord haith said!