"'It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins,' Jesus answered. 'This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.'" John 9:3 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered why God allows you to suffer? Was it something you did wrong? Or was someone else at fault? We want to find someone to blame, especially when so much bad happens in our world.

I struggle with these thoughts as well, but years ago God's Word helped me see a different perspective. Jesus' disciples had these same questions, and John chapter 9 records Jesus' interesting response.

Jesus and His disciples were walking through the streets of a city when they encountered a blind man. One of the disciples asked Jesus why the man was blind: "As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 'Rabbi,' his disciples asked him, 'why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?'" (John 9:1-2, NLT)

Jesus lovingly put their confusion to rest with today's key verse, "'It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins,' Jesus answered. 'This happened so the power of God could be seen in him'" (John 9:3).

I imagine the disciples standing there, looking perplexed by Jesus' answer. How could this man's blindness display the power of God? How could this physical infirmity bring glory to God? How could his life serve a higher purpose?

The passage continues, "Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. He told him, 'Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam' (Siloam means 'sent'). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!" (John 9:6-7, NLT)

The blind man's sight was completely healed, but notice that his healing wasn't immediate. He wasn't healed when Jesus spat on the mud and smeared it on his eyes, but only after he obeyed what Jesus instructed him to do.

The blind man was healed when he chose to obey the command of Jesus to "go." Without questioning or hesitating, the man went and his obedience resulted in not only healing, but discovering a holy purpose from his pain.

Like many, this man had been suffering with undeserved physical and emotional challenges for decades. He may have lived his entire life feeling inferior, unloved, rejected, excluded and possibly believing he had no purpose. He may have also assumed his past and his current limitations rendered him useless. After all, he didn't have any special skills or qualifications ... or even eyesight.

But here stood Jesus, telling everyone this man's life could serve as proof of the power of God. But it only happened because of obedience.

Unlike the blind man in this story, we often talk ourselves out of obedience, rather than trusting and obeying God's command to "go." But when we walk in faith, even when we don't feel ready and have to push through our doubts, fears and hesitations, true healing and purpose can begin to take shape in our hearts and lives.

We don't always get answers to why something happened. But regardless of our circumstances or our limitations, when we choose to take a leap of faith, we too can experience true spiritual healing and see a new perspective about our past for the very first time.

What a wonderful world this would be if we all caught a glimpse of how God wants to turn our pain into purpose and use our lives as proof of His power.

Lord, I want my life to serve as proof of Your goodness. Fill me with courage and motivation to go and share with others what You have done for me. Show me how You can turn my pain into purpose and make my life count for You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

***

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (NLT)

Psalm 119:60, "I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands." (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES:

Do you long to discover how God can use your past to glorify Him and bring joy and purpose to your life? Purchase Tracie Miles' book, Your Life Still Counts: How God Uses Our Past To Create A Beautiful Future.

Looking for a life-changing Bible study for your church or small group? Longing to inspire women to step out of their comfort zones and serve God in new ways? Consider offering Your Life Still Counts as your next fall series! Visit Tracie's blog to find out how to get a free Bible study guide for all participants, with video teachings, when you purchase eight or more copies of the book.

REFLECT AND RESPOND:

How might God be able to use your past for a specific purpose to glorify Him?

What fears do you need to overcome in order to step out of your comfort zone and allow God to use your life as proof of His power?

© 2015 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.