Day 6 | Fasting
Helen Keller was once asked, “Can you think?” She was a blind woman that achieved greatness. She was once asked, “Do you think there is anything more tragic than to be born blind?” And her answer was, “Yes. To be born with sight but no vision.” What a powerful and profound statement. There are a lot of people who have lost their vision. There are a lot of people who don’t know where they’re going. Do you know where you are going?
In the book of Mark there is the story of another person who was blind, and in that story we find a very rare event takes place:
They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.” Mark 8:22-26
He had vision. But the Bible says he saw men as trees. He had been touched, but could not see clearly. His vision was dim, cloudy and uncertain. And all of a sudden, Jesus did something that I can’t find He did anywhere else; He touched him a second time. There was a second touch. And when Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes a second time, the Bible says, “he saw everything clearly.”
If you’re not careful, you will be satisfied with a touch that gives you vision, but not clarity about what you’re supposed to do. You find yourself asking, “Why am I here? What is God’s plan for my life, and for my family? What is God’s purpose for my life?” You have a vision but it’s unclear; it’s unfocused. You don’t know where you’re going and you’re not sure where you’re ultimately supposed to be.
There will always be “divine misery” before there is “divine change.” You may get to a place where your toleration for a particular situation has been reached and you’ve had all that you can handle. But many times it takes going through misery before the situation can change. Are you in a season of divine misery? You may be asking today, “God, why won’t that child ever change? Why won’t this marriage ever change? Why doesn’t my financial picture ever change?” God has you right where He wants you. He has you in divine misery because He’s about to bring divine change.
There is something called “The Second Touch” and the key is that you become so hungry that you say, “Lord, I appreciate the first touch. I appreciate when you saved me and I appreciate when You gave me light that I’ve never seen before. But now I’m serving You, and I need You to touch me a second time and clarify my vision.”
Think About It
- How would you explain the concept of a “second touch” in your own words?
- What does the phrase “being in the Lord’s presence” mean to you personally?
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