“The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’”
– John 9:30,31
![]() It fascinates me that being the recipient of a miracle from Jesus not only gave the blind man back his sight, but it also empowered him to speak confidently and authoritatively to the ones who questioned him. Far from meekly answering inquiries about who he thought his Savior was, he challenged the Pharisees on their false claims that his Healer was a sinner. While he was not educated in the law or in the things of religion, he knew a contradiction when he heard one, and he was repulsed by the blatant attempts to discredit the miracle he received. Though he had been an outcast and had never been invited to have a dialogue with men of such great importance, he had their attention now, and he used the opportunity to fearlessly call out their childish and catty behavior while boldly coming to the defense of the One who healed him. My friend, no one can deny your miracle! While people may try to “explain away” the wonders the Lord does in your midst, you are empowered to answer those claims honestly and to valiantly advocate for your Savior. While it’s important to be a peacemaker, when you’ve tasted and seen the goodness of God, it’s natural to be upset when others try and discredit what He’s done for you. Thankfully, Jesus emboldens you to defend His character whenever it is maligned. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can speak truth with respectful confidence and silence the tongues of those who would cause damage to the Kingdom of Heaven with their false and careless words. |
Prayer
Jesus, empower me to speak confidently and courageously when your character is attacked in my hearing.
Reflection
Have you ever had occasion to defend your Savior to others?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.