Have Mercy on Me

By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 11th Feb, 2005)

(Mark 10:46-47)

Bartimaus shouted for help because he was in a real need. He first had mercy on himself and most of us today forget to have mercy on ourselves. Just like Bartimaus the church is growing up but can’t see. You can be blind spiritually which means you can be around Christians but won’t see what is going on around you. The church is blind because we don’t see where we are going or what we are doing. We don’t know our Father (Bartimaus also didn’t know his father).

When you don’t have sight you can easily get confused, you can be a Christian for 40 years but if God hasn’t given you sight you’ll just be in confusion. Bartimaus was physically strong but without sight he couldn’t get employed and many people in church are well prepared because God has given to them all the abilities required to work but they don’t accept their eyes to be uncovered and so they can’t see. For example they will say, that’s my character and I can’t change.

Many people today don’t know how to tell God, have mercy on me. They don’t recognise their weaknesses, they think they know the Bible and don’t need help. If you are humble God will raise you up but if you are proud and think you are leading everyone, God will take your sight and you will be confused and won’t recognise what’s around you.

Jacob also lost his sight when he was an old man and at the time to bless Mannessah and Ephraim he called on God’s help to know how to bless them. Even if you are an old Christian you still need God’s advice and support, without it you are nothing.

If we don’t get the opportunity to use what God has given to us, satan will take it and we won’t use if for God’s glory. If you ask for something useful (as Bartimaus did) God will answer and also give you the rest. What can you tell God that is important? (Bartimaus had only one chance to tell God something, if you were meeting the queen today and were given only one sentence to say, what would it be?)


SUMMARY

- We need to have mercy on ourselves first

- The church is blind spiritually:
1. confused
2. unable to work
3. don’t know who God is
4. unable to recognise our weaknesses

- If you are humble God will raise you up

- Tell God what is important and the rest will follow

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