Seed To Plant

      The heroes of faith mentioned in the Bible all had something in common...they stood alone.
       Abraham, for example, was called alone.  He followed God alone and did what God told him to do.  He didn't have anyone to help him.  He made mistakes in his life, but he stood alone.
       Look what the Bible says about Abraham in Isaiah 51:2 "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah who bare you:  for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."
     Romans 4:20-21 says that "He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was also able to perform."
      The Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, stood alone in faith on what God had told him.
       Look at the story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52.  Most of us have read this story since childhood.  Mark began "And they came to Jericho."  he's speaking about Jesus, the Disciples and those who were traveling with Jesus (everywhere Jesus went, a crowd followed).  In blind Bartimaeus, we find a man who was alone.  He had probably suffered from severe loneliness.  He couldn't see.  No one volunteered to help him get to the Great Physician...Jesus.  He simply heard a noise and he sought to find out what was happening around him.
       The crowd around him said, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."  Bartimaeus couldn't see, but he could hear and he used what he had to secure and get what he lacked.  When he realized Jesus was walking by, faith must have leaped in his heart.
       This poor, blind beggar had sat beside that road every day.  He felt the dust, the wind and the rain touch him.   He probably heard the birds chirping.  He probably heard others talking about what a nice day it was or what a beautiful sunset it was.
       But, the eyes in his sockets had never seen a sunset, had never seen a bird, or seen another person.  All he could do was try to imagine what it was like to see.  And now, the man known as the Son of God was walking his way.
       Bartimaeus rose to his feet (notice no one said "here let me help you" and no one reach down and said "Here, let me help you to Jesus."  No, Bartimaeus had to push himself up from the dust.  He began to scream, "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me!"
       Bartimaeus stood alone.  He had faith alone and began to cry out to Jesus of Nazareth alone.     The crowd around Bartimaeus turned and said, "Be quiet."
       Realize that the Word is telling us that God wants us to cry out to Him.  When we cry out to Him, then He meets our needs.
     Bartimeaus never would have gotten his need met if he had just sat there.  The crowd would have engulfed him, Jesus would have walked by and he would have remained "Blind Bartimaeus."
       Thankfully, faith arose in his heart and caused him to stand up and cry out in the face of all contradictory circumstances.  "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me."
       Was he too far out?
       The cry of faith will not be silenced by any circumstances or opposition that stand in it's way.  The only effect such obstacles have on real faith in God and His Word, will be to cause faith to be more determined than ever to receive what belongs to it.
       Real faith stands alone.  Look back over your own life.  You will see that your faith alone brought you everything you've ever received from God.
       People can talk with you; they can counsel you; they can pray with you;  but it's your faith faith alone that brings the final results in your life.