CINDERELLA, IT'S ME!
Imagine your deepest desire being fulfilled in an instant. Recently, my friend Adam shared about his friend Roger’s family trip to Disneyland. It seems Roger’s five-old-daughter (we’ll call her Suzie) was enamored with Cinderella. Her dream was to interact with the famed Disney princess at the Magic Kingdom. But after a long day of connecting with other characters, there had been no “Cinderella sightings.” That evening, during the Main Street Parade, the family watched as float after float went by, hoping to catch a glimpse of Suzie’s heroine. Near the end, Suzie spotted Cinderella’s float approaching. She began shouting and waving, “Cinderella… Cinderella!” But engulfed in a noisy crowd, Cinderella could not hear Suzie.
She called even louder, “Cinderella, it’s me, Suzie.” (She assumed, of course, that Cinderella knew her). She continued shouting and waving, to no avail. Then something magical occurred. The crowd around Suzie began joining her cause, working to draw Cinderella's attention to Suzie. Eventually, Cinderella turned her head, stretched out her hand towards her, and looking her adoring fan in the eyes, said, “Hi Suzie!” The crowd erupted with a cheer. One can only imagine the thrill that filled young Suzie’s heart.
Heading to Jerusalem to commence the final week of his life, Jesus enjoyed a similar experience. Much like a parade, He was followed by a crowd. Leaving Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus called out to him, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47). The crowd following Jesus rebuked the blind man, “and told him to be quiet” (v48). But like Suzie, he shouted even louder. And like Cinderella, Jesus turned and faced him. Then Jesus healed Bartimaeus.
I wonder how often Jesus is waiting for us to persistently call out to Him. If Suzie and Bartimaeus had failed to persevere, imagine the blessing they would have missed! Next Thursday, May 6, is the National Day of Prayer. If there ever was a time, when our nation needed prayer—a time to persevere in prayer—this is it! As a culture, we are divided, discouraged and disheartened. We’re powerless to fix it. Perhaps we need to follow the lead of Suzie and Bartimaeus, and persevere in prayer. Perhaps we need to fall on our faces before God, and ask him to “heal our land” (II Chronicles 7:14). Perhaps we need to look to heaven and cry out, “Jesus, it’s me!”
Principle: We need to call out to Jesus, and continue to persist.
Promise: When we persevere in prayer, Jesus hears us and responds.
Ponder:
On a scale of one to ten, how persistent am I in calling out to Jesus?
As we move toward the National Day of Prayer, make a list of specific areas where we need to intercede for our nation.
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Mark 10:46-52.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, you know the deepest longing of my heart. Would you heal my heart, and heal our land?
Perceptions: Record any ideas God puts on your heart from today’s devotion.