Overcoming Circumstances

It pays to know the circumstances in which you work.

____________________

Matthew 12:22-23 – Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

____________________

Often, we face situations in life that are not what they appear to be.  Our Text for Today is a prime example of that in the life of Jesus.  To the casual observer, or even a truly interested party, had they been present when this man was brought to Jesus, the fact that he was blind and dumb (unable to speak), may have cause some to think he needed miracle, or that all he needed was healing.  Others may have considered the possibility that a demon was involved in some way.  But seeing this scene unfold without having the narrative of Matthew, it is likely that the primary thinking about the man would have all be conjecture.

Jesus, however, did not operate by conjecture.  He always operated in truth, and to do that, one needs to know the facts that exist within a situation.  In the scene set forth in our Text for Today, there are several layers of facts that need to be clearly known to allow one to operate accurately in bringing a miracle, a healing, a deliverance, or some combination of these things to bear in order to achieve the desired end.  We must remember that what we read in the Scriptures is the whole story being told AFTER the fact.  But where the characters in the story are concerned, they had to live and operate before the fact, or at best, with the fact, and that could leave question.  For that reason, Jesus did nothing except what He saw Father do, or that which Father commanded, or to which Holy Spirit led Him.  Because He lived that way at all times, always being led by Holy Spirit and only doing those things that pleased Father, His outcome was always successful, pleasing Father, and accurate in function.  While many would perhaps want to debate what I say here, the truth is that you and I can live the same way, achieve the same results with the same success, and in fact, do even greater than that which Jesus did.

In this case, the man needed healing, and that is what Jesus provided for him.  But the man was also possessed by a demon.  We must realize that some sickness or disease is not natural, but is caused by the presence of a demon spirit.  Smith Wigglesworth faced such an ordeal when he was gravely ill with what was likely a ruptured appendix.  He received his healing, but only after a demon was cast out of his flesh that was causing the problem.  Child of God, there are times that we need to know where we stand, what we face, and the circumstances that exist before we can minister in a truly effective manner.

Manna for Today – Matthew 12:22-32; Isaiah 53:4-5; Psalm 107:20; 1 Peter 2:24; Mark 16:15-20;      John 14:12-14