Sun.’s Devo - The Blind Will See -

Read: 1 Samuel 20:1-21:15; John 9:1-41; Psalm 113:1-114:8; Proverbs 15:15-17 Saul was bent on killing David so he had fled to Ramah. He met with Jonathan and asked him why his father wanted to kill him so badly. Jonathan couldn’t believe his father wanted to kill David so they came up with a plan to find out. *** David would stay hidden and Jonathan would return home for the new moon. If Saul missed David and was angry that he was not there, then they would know he wanted to kill him. If he was okay with his excuse to spend time with his family, then David would know it was safe to come home. *** David and Jonathan also devised a plan to warn David if Saul was indeed mad with him. They would meet again on the third day. *** Jonathan went home and ate with his father. Saul didn’t say anything about David’s absence on the first day, but he did ask about him on the second day. When Jonathan defended David’s absence, Saul lost his temper and cursed Jonathan for taking up for David. He told Jonathan that as long as David was alive, his kingdom would not be established. It would go to David. Saul wanted Jonathan to turn David over to him so he could kill him. Jonathan asked what David had done that deserved dying. Saul was so mad he picked up his sword and threw it at Jonathan. Jonathan then knew he was determined to kill David. *** The next morning, Jonathan went to meet David and gave him the sign that his father wanted to kill him. They had a very emotional meeting. They promised to keep the covenant they had made to take care of each other’s offspring forever, then they parted. *** David went to Nob to Ahimelech, the priest and asked for food and a sword. He told the priest he was on a secret mission for Saul. Ahimelech gave him the old holy bread and Goliath’s sword. How fitting that he should partake in God’s bread meant only for priests and take the sword of the giant he had defeated. *** Unfortunately, Saul’s herdsman, Doeg was present and saw this exchange. David left and went to Achish the king of Gath, in the land of the Philistines. Achish’s servants recognized David and took him to the king. David acted like he was insane which saved his life. The king wanted nothing to do with another madman. *** In John, Jesus and his disciples passed a man who had been blind since birth. The disciples asked him if he had sinned or his parents, to make him blind. Jesus surprised them by saying that neither had sinned but he was made blind so that his life could be an example of God’s power. Then Jesus spit on the ground and made mud with his spit. He anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The man came back able to see. *** The man who used to be blind went and told his neighbors what had happened. They brought him to the Pharisees. It was the Sabbath and the man explained what had happened. The Pharisees claimed that Jesus was not from God because he didn’t keep the Sabbath. But, the people asked how man who was not from God do such miracles? They asked the man who could now see what he thought about Jesus. He said Jesus was a prophet. *** The Jews wanted to investigate the man and went to his parents to find out if his story was true. They agreed that their son was born blind and now could see, but they didn’t know who had healed him. They told the Pharisees that he was an adult, they should ask him. They were afraid of being kicked out of the sanctuary for confessing that Jesus was the Christ. *** So, the Pharisees went back to the man who had been healed and told him to give glory to God, because they knew that Jesus was a sinner. He told them that he didn’t know anything other than he was blind and now he sees. They had an argument and finally threw the man out of the sanctuary. *** Jesus heard about this and went and found him. He asked him if he believed in the Son of Man. He answered that he didn’t know who he was. When Jesus told him, he was the Son of Man, the man confessed he believed. Jesus said that he came into the world to help the blind to see and so that those who see, may become blind. The Pharisees asked if they were the ones who were blind. Jesus answered that if they were blind, they would not be guilty, but because they say they can see, they remained guilty. *** Lord, may our spiritual eyes be opened to what you want to do. May we not be blinded by our own opinions and perceptions and miss how you are working on the earth and who you are using to bring about your purposes.