Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly (Mark 8:22-25).

What comes to mind when you think of living a supernatural life? Do you imagine God’s voice being super clear or answers to prayer coming swiftly? Or maybe you are not totally sure what this would feel like quite yet.

In this series, “Living Supernaturally,” we have seen the Holy Spirit work in miraculous ways, providing for the various needs of the people we encounter in the Scriptures. Although perhaps not always how we might expect. 

In these verses in Acts 8, Jesus heals a blind man. But not right away, not all at once. We know Jesus doesn’t do anything “by accident” or without intention. So why the two-step process in restoring the man’s sight? What are we to see in this event?

One of the first times I read this account of the gradual restoration of the blind man’s vision, I thought to myself, “I can relate to that.” Not physically, but spiritually. Sometimes, our understanding of what God is doing feels like “trees walking” – we’re seeing something, but we sense we don’t yet have the full picture in clear focus. For example, I may not understand what His purpose is in something difficult I’m experiencing. Like the blind man, who didn’t receive a “full healing” all at once, I need to stay in the presence of Jesus, as he did and await God’s further ongoing work and timing. 

While God can (and still does) provide miraculous healing or swift resolution to a pressing problem, sometimes there is more of a process involved in living supernaturally. This is the only example in which we see healing in this manner. In fact, he doesn’t heal the same way twice (that we see recorded in the Gospels). We may not know for sure how God will accomplish His will for our lives, but we can look back and see the fingerprints of His love throughout our lives and know that He will never leave us or forsake us -- even when we are too blind to see.

Take a moment today and reflect on God’s faithfulness in your life. Where has he brought healing to you physically, spiritually, or emotionally and in what ways did he do it? Thank him for being Jehovah Rapha – the Lord that heals.