The Blind Dog Helped Me See

God's desire is not that we should strive for righteous works on our own but that we would allow Him to work His righteousness in our lives every single day.

While shopping at an office-supply store recently, I witnessed an odd sight. A man was pushing a pink baby carriage down the center aisle of the store. It was smaller than a normal carriage, similar to a doll buggy. I looked into the carriage, and there was a beautiful little dog. He was tiny and had a mane that looked like a lion’s. I’ve never seen a dog like this!

I leaned into the carriage and said, “You sure are cute. You really are pretty.” Then the dog’s owner called its name and said, “That’s the man who needs to pray for you!”

That caught me off guard.

“I know you,” the man said.

“Why do you want me to pray for your dog?” I asked.

“My dog is blind,” he answered. “He is five years old and has a retinal disease that is afflicting many dogs throughout the country. They are losing their sight in a very short time. We’ve actually taken him to a doctor in Boston to have a procedure, but the dog is still blind.”

“Sure, I will pray for your dog,” I said and dropped down on my knees in the middle of the store. I laid my hands on the dog’s face, turning him straight toward me. Though his eyes appeared perfectly normal, I noticed that they didn’t follow my movements. I prayed, “God, bless this little dog. He’s such a sweet pet, and his family loves him very much. Please make this little dog well. You can heal this dog’s eyes. Jesus, would you heal this little dog’s eyes?”

If we yield to the King to bring forth kingdom life, He will not fail.

I cupped the dog’s face in my hands, affectionately putting my cheek against his face. When I stood up, the man said, “Thank you.”

I smiled and said, “You evidently know me and can get a message to me. I would like to know if your dog begins to see. My prayers go with you.” I finished shopping and left the store.

Later, as I reflected on the moment, God revealed, My kingdom was manifest in that store, right in broad daylight. You did exactly what believers should do when they recognize the importance of living with an awareness of kingdom power.

Prayerfully I asked God about the experience: Why did that man say I was the one who needed to pray for his dog?

God impressed upon my heart, Because he was actually saying to his dog, “That’s a man who believes in a God who can do anything for anyone … anywhere … anytime. That’s my kingdom!”

If you are fighting a disease in your family or among your friends and are under some seemingly unbearable weight, I ask you to agree with this fact: the King is here! His presence and power are all around you as surely as the air you breathe. Ask Him to release His healing power to lift the weight and accomplish His kingdom purpose in and through your life, including those you care about.

Trust Him! Kingdom results are in His hands. We receive the seed in receptive soil, and the light of His life and the water of His Word bring forth beautiful fruit in His garden. No plant strains to yield its fruit; no flower, its blossom. If we yield to the King to bring forth kingdom life, He will not fail. His grace working in us brings about remarkable changes. We should live amazed by the power of His presence.

You may ask, “What if I’m not healed physically?” Keep trusting Him and thanking Him for a great work of healing and wholeness His kingdom power can accomplish by shaping your character. This is the greatest healing of all. God provides healing for our souls and for our lives, even when we don’t see it in our physical bodies. Jesus stated that the goal is for the works of God to be displayed in our lives. [See John 9:1-3.]

Many people have been healed physically but not spiritually, and, as a result, they still can’t clearly see God’s kingdom purpose for their lives. Jesus can heal a withered hand, but His greater emphasis is on the need for withered lives to be healed by the power of His abiding presence and kingdom reality.

Jesus really did come to heal the brokenhearted and those who may also have broken bodies. All disease and sickness will be absent in the eternal kingdom that is to come. Absent from that kingdom will also be any potential for disease, temptation, or sin, and there will be no more death. It’s no challenge in heaven to overcome an enemy, because there’s none to overcome. In this life God desires to make us more than conquerors — priests and kings, mighty warriors, ambassadors with His armor and the shield of faith that can quench every fiery suggestion of the Enemy and all the lies in this present world.

God’s kingdom power really did show up in that office-supply store. It wasn’t simply an expression of love from a lover of pets, but it was an expression from the Lover of our souls and our lives. It was the heart of One who cares about every concern we have. His desire is not that we should strive for righteous works on our own but that we would allow Him to work His righteousness in our lives every single day.

Excerpt  from God of All Creation, Published by Water Brook Press, 2012.

James Robison’s new book Living Amazed: How Divine Encounters Can Change Your Life is now out and available on Amazon.com, LivingAmazedBook.com and bookstores everywhere.