Sometimes we get discouraged when we have been believing God
for something for a long time and the promise is delayed. I’ve been there before and will probably be
there again. Jesus dealt with people
with compassion and kindness most of the time (Luke 7:13, Mark 8:2, Matt.
9:34-35, 20:34), but he also demonstrated tough love. Sometimes tough love is what we need to stir
us to do what we can do for ourselves.
Sometimes we are waiting on God to deliver us and He has already given
us what we need to take up our bed and walk.
He has already forgiven our sins
through Christ, this is enough. (Mark
2:1-12) The same power that forgives our
sins, empower, heals and performs miracles!! Jesus performs a miracle so that
they would know that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins. God wants to perform a miracle in our lives
so that sinners will be led to Christ and that “all are amazed and glorify God”
:12, God is still doing things today” that we never saw before”!!
Read the story in the new testament of the lame man, waiting
at the pool of Bethesda.
John 5:1-14. I will go ahead and paraphrase it as follows:
For 38 years he waited on his turn to be healed by stepping
into the pool after the angel had troubled the waters, but because of his
frailty, he was never able to get in the water in time. Jesus inquires as to
whether he wants to be made well? Because He had no revelation of the Messiah,
he focuses on the problem even though Jesus is right in his face, ready to heal!! He responds, “:7 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.” Each time he made an attempt someone got in
and received the blessing ahead of him.
Ever felt like somebody else got your blessing? In this situation, Jesus is not weeping with
compassion, but I imagine firmly tells him to “Rise, take up your bed and
walk.”:8. And guess what? “Immediately, the man was made well, took up
his bed and walked.”
God has an appointed time for each of us. We just have to keep the faith while we are
waiting, praise him, focus on the good things in our lives and when the appointed time comes,
consequently, we need to recognize it.
Then we need to get up off our bed of lamentation, take up our bed
(whatever you have been relying on, resting in, taking comfort in, gaining
strength from….), and make the decision that you are going to walk with
determination. Choose that you will take
the necessary steps even if painful.
Sometime in life we just need to show up to get our blessing, it is
commonly said that success is 90% showing up and 10% knowing what to do when you
get there. Decide to step into
your blessing and experience the joy and exhilaration of your miracle.
Remain Faithful
Once God gives you a miracle be sure to remain faithful to
Him. Jesus warned the man that was
healed at the pool of Bethesda, “See you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon
you.” (John 5:14). This man had been
sick for 38 years, hopefully the new found freedom and deliverance was enough
to cause him to heed Jesus warning. This
warning is applicable for us today, Paul talks about this in Galatians, that
now that we have received God’s grace we need to be careful not to go back into
sin, “Does grace abound that sin should abound?
Of course Not!!”
