How would you feel if u were lame from birth?
If you had no family?
If you had to sell halls, gum, and popcorn to make money for rent?
If you lived in the slums and rarely showered?
If the only thing you wanted God to do is strengthen your legs that you may walk?
If you had no one to wheel you 2 miles to sit on a corner for work?
If you had to wear the same clothes weeks at a time?
If to the world you looked like the scum of the earth?
I don't know how I would feel because I've never walked a day in Francis shoes, but he is a great example of what we should feel at all times. In spite of his horrendous physical situation he is uttlerly free and filled with joy. Many may as how could a man of this economic status and physical disabilty be free and the simple answer is because his heart is set on Christ and Christ remembers him That is intimate relationship with Christ.
While most of us including Richard Bowman, focus on image, beauty, entertainment, materials, pleasure, and at times wish to be filled with perishable things this man desires to walk. Indeed he will one day! If not in this life it will be the next
The spiritual reality is this: Christ came to save the lame, the blind, the deaf, the poor, and Francis physical reality is a perfect reflection of our spiritual reality outside of Christ. If Christ doesn't open our hearts we are lame and we cannot walk in him. If Christ doesnt open our hearts we are blind and cannot see him. If Christ doesnt open our hearts we are deaf and cannot hear his voice.
Zechariah 3: 1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
2 And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?"
3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.
4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments."
5 And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by.
This scripture points to Christ and the beauty of his Glory standing in the gap for us. Lame, blind, deaf, yet he delights to take the filthy and present them as pure before the Judge. Can't wait to see Francis in pure vestments 🙂
