Read John 5:1-47.
“Would you like to get well?” Jesus asked a man who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years.
Can you imagine what this man thought when Jesus asked this question? “Of course!” I imagine he was thinking. You see, he was currently at a place known as “the pool of Bethesda.” The belief among the people in Jesus’ day was that this pool had healing powers. They believed that anyone who got in the water at the pool of Bethesda at just the time when the water began to stir would be healed. If this man was at the pool of Bethesda, he obviously wanted to be made well.
There was a problem with his plan, however. “I can’t, sir,” he said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone always gets there ahead of me” (John 5:7). In other words, this man was without hope. He wanted to get well but was never able to get to the water that he believed would heal him. Then, Jesus looked at the man and gave three life-changing commands: “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Immediately this man did just as Jesus commanded and was healed. With one sentence from the mouth of Jesus, this man was changed forever. Notice that this man did not question Jesus when He told him to stand up and walk. He simply obeyed. He had faith in Jesus healing power.
What about you? Would you, like the man in John 5, like to get well? Do you believe in God’s healing power over your sickness, pain, anxiety, or fear? Now, please know that God’s healing might look different than we hope or expect. Sometimes, instead of healing us physically, God chooses to strengthen us spiritually. Sometimes we continue to battle anxiety, but God makes Himself intimately known to us as we fight against it. Sometimes He provides someone to walk with us through our pain to provide encouragement right when we need it. Make no mistake, my friend, even when your healing looks different than you hope or expect, God has healing power over your life. Will you trust Him to get well?
What areas of your life are you desperate for God’s healing power? Are you desperate for physical healing? Are you seeking for God to intervene and help you in your battle with anxiety? Are you lonely and desperate for God to provide godly people in your life? Take a few moments and ask God to intervene with His healing power in your life. Remember, His healing power may look different than you expect, but He is working in your life. After praying, start looking for evidence of God intervening in your life and working. He may just be working in your life in ways you did not even realize!
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