Mark 7:34-35  He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!"). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

Mark's astonishing account tells of our ever-caring Lord Jesus healing a man who was deaf and slow of speech. He did so away from the crowd, personally, privately, completely. He touched the man, fixed His eyes on heaven and said, "Be opened!" Note the word immediately. He could have done so here, too. The man's tongue was loosened, and he began to speak plainly.

"Ephphatha!" What a fitting watchword for Christians. God's care and concern are so totally focused on us. Touched by the personal healing of Christ in our souls, freed from eternal death, blessed according to our most detailed, intimate and specific needs, how can our response be anything other than praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and telling forth what great things God has done for us?

Look at the people's response. They were overwhelmed and, glorifying God, they explained, "He has done everything well." May the people's response also be our as our Lord opens us to worship, work, and witness in word and deed, so that others, seeing Christ through our lives, might also exclaim, "He has done everything well!"
--
 

Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,