You ever feel like you should speak up… but something tells you to hold back?
Like you need help, you know where it is, but you don’t want to draw attention to yourself.
So you stay silent.
And nothing changes.
Is that where you’ve been?
Let’s see what the Scripture actually says.
“And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”
(KJV)
He started where he was
Bartimaeus is sitting.
By the road.
Begging.
That’s his reality.
No movement. No change. Just survival.
Then he hears something.
“Jesus of Nazareth…”
That’s all it took.
He didn’t see Him.
He heard.
And he responded.
Do you see how this starts?
He refused to stay quiet
“He began to cry out…”
Not polite.
Not controlled.
Desperate.
“Have mercy on me.”
Then comes the pressure.
“Many charged him that he should hold his peace…”
People tried to shut him down.
And what did he do?
“He cried the more…”
He got louder.
That’s not what most people do.
Most people back off when there’s resistance.
Why didn’t he?
Jesus stopped for him
“And Jesus stood still…”
Out of all the noise.
All the crowd.
One voice made Him stop.
That matters.
Then they call him.
And everything shifts.
The same crowd that told him to be quiet… now says:
“Rise; he calleth thee.”
Do you see how fast that changed?
He didn’t hesitate when the moment came
“Casting away his garment…”
That’s significant.
That garment represented his condition.
His identity as a beggar.
He let it go.
Then he came to Jesus.
No delay.
No second guessing.
Jesus made him say it clearly
“What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”
That question matters.
Not because Jesus didn’t know.
But because Bartimaeus needed to say it.
“Lord, that I might receive my sight.”
Clear.
Direct.
No confusion.
Do you know what you’re actually asking for?
The result came immediately
“Thy faith hath made thee whole.”
“And immediately he received his sight…”
No delay again.
But notice the last part.
“He followed Jesus…”
This didn’t end with healing.
It led into something more.
Relationship.
Direction.
This fits the same pattern you’ve seen
Calling out matters.
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”
(Romans 10:13)
Persistence matters.
“Men ought always to pray, and not to faint”
(Luke 18:1)
And faith responds.
Not silently.
But actively.
But let’s be honest about what happens inside
You feel the urge to speak.
To ask.
To reach out.
But something tells you to stay quiet.
What will people think?
What if nothing happens?
What if it feels awkward?
So you hold it in.
And you stay where you are.
Is that what’s been happening?
Look at what actually moved this moment
He heard.
He cried out.
He refused to stop.
He responded when called.
He asked clearly.
That’s the flow.
Not complicated.
But not passive either.
Another place shows this same boldness:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace…”
(Hebrews 4:16)
Do you see that?
Boldly.
So what does this look like for you?
It might be as simple as this.
Stop holding back.
Say what you need to say.
Bring it to Him clearly.
Don’t let pressure silence you.
Don’t let hesitation keep you in place.
What would that look like for you right now?
Here’s what you can’t ignore
Jesus didn’t pass him by.
He stopped.
But it was the cry that made the difference.
So be honest.
Are you staying silent… or are you willing to call out, no matter who tries to quiet you?
Call to Action: The Question That Demands an AnswerIn Acts 2:37 Peter and the Apostles were asked the question – What Shall We do? And in Acts 2:38 Peter answered, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Do you understand this? After hearing the gospel and believing, they asked what should would do. The answer hasn’t changed friend, Peter clearly gave the answer. The question for you today is, Have you receieved the Holy Spirit Since you believed? If you’re ready to take that step, or you want to learn more about what it means to be born again of water and Spirit, visit: Come, and let the Spirit make you new. |
