CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE DAILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE STUDY ON YOUTUBE
Mark 8:11-12
Working in reverse order beginning in Mark 8, Jesus has fed four thousand with seven loaves of bread and some small fish (Mark 8:1-10), He has healed a deaf man with a speech impediment (Mark 7:31-37), He has healed a young girl of demon possession (Mark 7:24-30), He has healed many by simply the touching of His clothing (Mark 6:53-56), and He has walked on water (Mark 6:45-52), just to name a few. And yet, in Mark 8:11 we learn that the Pharisees came to Jesus requesting Him to give them a sign from heaven. The disciples of Jesus were having trouble believing in the power of Jesus in their front row viewing of all these miracles, how much more then is it hard for those who refuse to believe in His power at all?
This is an example of being blind to the miracles of Jesus and yet continuing to demand more and more from Him before we will put out faith in Him.
Jesus has been traveling from region to region showing the people His great healing power and miraculous things He has done. And in the eyes of the Pharisees it was not sufficient for them to believe; they continued to request a sign from heaven even though Jesus had been giving them all the signs they needed to put their faith in Him.
Is it not the same with us today? We see all the miraculous things that Jesus does in our lives, all around us, but yet we are blinded by Satan from seeing the great things that God is doing for us each day. We continue, just as did the Pharisees, to put demands and requests on God to show us He is real, when He is showing us each day while we refuse to see all that He is doing to protect us and guide us through this sinful world that is attacking us from every direction. God is with us and He is showing us His great power every day; we just have to open our eyes with faith in Him to see.
Dear LORD,
Jesus explains His teachings to us so that we will see His great power and authority. He teaches us in Luke 8:14 (NKJV) as He explains the parable of the sower to His disciples, “Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” We cannot see Your great power working in our lives if we are focused on the things of this world. Please help us to put our focus on You LORD and the power of salvation – the gift of life in Christ Jesus – that comes only through putting our faith in Him – our Savior and the Savior of all! In Jesus name I pray, amen.