Jesus answered, It was not that this man or his parents sinned, but he was born blind in order that the workings of God should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in him. – John 9:3, Amplified Bible (AMP)

When coming upon the blind man of John 9, the disciples asked Jesus a very natural question, “Whose sin caused this poor guy to be blind?” In response, Christ gave the disciples a very unnatural response, “Nobody’s sin caused this man’s blindness. He is blind so that my power can flow through him.” After his healing, the blind man became a witness of Christ’s power, and roughly two thousand years after his death, we are still talking about that witness today.

Sometimes we face trying circumstances, and the circumstances confuse us. Our sin hasn’t brought the evil upon us. Our faithful service to Christ hasn’t brought the tough times upon us. We simply have something downright difficult going on in our lives, and we can’t really figure out why. In such instances, it is tempting to complain to God regarding our seeming injustice, for when we can’t figure out the “why” behind our predicament, we may slip into the false assumption that God is being unnecessarily cruel. What we don’t realize, however, is that the “injustice” may very well enable us to be a wonderful vessel through which God’s power can flow, and our tough times might be the very ticket that draws other people to the Savior.

Had the blind man not been blind, and had he not personally experienced God’s deliverance, he would have had no role in bringing God’s glory to mankind, and we would know nothing about the blind man today. In that same light, we might encounter trying times SOLELY so that we can experience the power of God’s deliverance, and through that deliverance, we can be a vessel through which God’s power flows. God’s deliverance may take the form of total healing from the pain. Or, the tough times might not go away, yet we find deliverance from anxiety and worry in the midst of the storm. Either way, God’s supernatural power to overcome natural evil is manifested in our lives, and through our victory, others will be drawn to Christ.

No matter what form our deliverance takes, we should tell others about our deliverance with a grateful, loving heart. As hard as it is to realize when we are suffering, there is no greater joy in life than to be a herald for the power of God to deliver. When we become that herald, we will have fulfilled God’s purpose for the pain, and we will have had the wonderful honor of being a vessel through which His glory has flowed.

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