Do You Wish TO Be WEll?
- Day 5 -
today's scripture
A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”
Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.
JOHN 5:5-9 NASB
devotional
We have full access to a relationship with the God of miracles! He is a good Father who has proven faithful to answer our prayers and needs. In fact, we just saw the Lord's mercy extended to the dying son of a man who came to Jesus in search of a miracle at the end of John 4.
But John 5 offers us a different glimpse into the nature of God that I want you to see. As Jesus approaches the lame man that we read about in the beginning of the chapter, He was fully aware of everyone around Him. He must have passed a dozen invalids with all forms of conditions, but Jesus set His eyes on one.
When asked if he wished to be well the man quickly explained how he is unable to get to God's healing powers in the pool. He confesses that on his own he had repeatedly failed to get to the place he needed to be to walk away whole. So, instead of him going to healing, Healing came to him.
Did you get that? Jesus came to him.
The stories of many men are told in these few verses.
So many of us have lived our lives with such debilitating conditions. They have kept us from being whole and from enjoying the fullness of what God intended in our lives. We have laid our mats near the source of healing, but for one reason or another, we never got better. So we accepted our handicaps as part of us and over time it became our normal.
The pride. The lust. The apathy. The rage. The ( FILL IN THE BLANK).
But God, being so rich in His mercy has set His eye on you. Seeing that you are so handicapped and unable to go to your healing, He has come to you. He has seen you in your current state and is asking you; "Do you wish to get well?"
How will you answer Him?
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Continue to march.
