Mensa Otabil - Don't Sit Quietly (10/05/2025)
Everything we want to achieve in life requires effort, and effort always faces resistance. So when you make an effort to move forward, there will be something trying to push you to either stay where you are or go backward. That is why, when we’re pursuing anything in life, we have to be ready to push through resistance and go beyond it.
Mark chapter 10, verse 48 says, «Then many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me! '» What is this about? It’s a story of a blind man named Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus was a blind man on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he had a spot there where he begged. One day, he heard that Jesus was passing by, and from the rumors he had heard about Jesus, he knew that Jesus could perform miracles. Some blind people had already seen, some crippled people had walked, and other miracles had occurred.
So when Bartimaeus realized Jesus was coming by, he decided that if He was passing by his spot, he wasn’t going to be silent or sit quietly for Jesus to walk by. Even before Jesus reached where Bartimaeus was, he started crying out, «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!» He cried it over and over. Jesus passed him by while he was still shouting, «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!» People told him to be quiet, and that’s what the passage said: many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more, «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!» Jesus heard him, turned back, and said, «Bring the man to me.» Eventually, Bartimaeus received the miracle he was praying for. This is what we call active faith. Active faith is not just believing that God will do it but also working and taking steps to receive what God says you will receive. Bartimaeus was not passive about his faith; he believed Jesus could heal him and that Jesus was the Son of God, so he called on Him.
But watch what happened: people were trying to push him back; people were trying to resist him; people were telling him to keep quiet, saying Jesus is not interested in him. But active faith does not take no for an answer. Many people believe that God will work a miracle for them, but only a few are willing to pursue and work towards that miracle.
When I say «work towards that miracle,» it means you have to pray, believe God, and hold high your faith. Now, for Bartimaeus, there were many times he cried without receiving a response. Sometimes it happens to us when we pray, and we don’t get a response. We pray and don’t get a response. «Oh Jesus, help me!» and nothing happens. «Jesus, help me!» Nothing happens. Then we give up and say, «Well, I don’t think this works anyway.» But Bartimaeus didn’t say that. He kept shouting, «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!» Even when Jesus was walking by and seemed unresponsive, he kept crying out until it appeared that Jesus was far away.
If you believe God is a prayer-answering God and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, then seek the Lord diligently. Trust Him and pray without ceasing, trusting that even if you don’t get a response today, tomorrow He will respond. If you don’t receive a response tomorrow, then the next day you will. But you must be like Bartimaeus: keep crying until you receive your miracle.
This applies to everything we want to achieve in life. Sometimes it’s not just about praying to God; it’s about pursuing a dream, pursuing hope. Sometimes you try, and then you fail. You try, and it doesn’t work. You attempt to put your life together, and things unravel. Over time, people give up and say, «You know what? I don’t think this will work.» That’s not what faith does. We believe until the end; we persist until the end.
So don’t sit quietly. Don’t abandon your hope. Don’t abandon your dreams. Don’t shut down just because everyone says to shut down or shut up. Stand firm in the Lord; trust Him, because this year the Lord will bless you. The Lord will give you something positive; He will turn your life around, and the miracle is coming to you. You will be the person that God says you will be. So don’t keep quiet. Keep trusting God; keep talking to the Lord. Your breakthrough is coming.
Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, help me not to give up on myself. I refuse to sit and let life pass me by. In Jesus' name, Amen.» Don’t just sit and let life pass you by; God is coming through for you. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.