Welcome to Hank’s Place
Acts 10:38 tells us Jesus, anointed of the Holy Spirit went about doing good, healing all those bound by the devil. Awesome! He healed multitudes of those who came to Him. But listen to this instance of one person being healed.
In John 5, we find Jesus in Jerusalem for a feast. At the pool of Bethesda there’s a lame man, lying there, along with multitudes of sick people, waiting for an angel to stir the waters that they could jump in and be healed.
Now, the man had been in that condition 38 years. And Jesus saw, out of all the multitudes, THAT MAN. And knew he’d been in that condition a long time. Jesus asked him, “Do you wish to get well?”
Friend? Perhaps you are in a hospital surrounded by multitudes of sick people. Or ill in bed at home, alone. Jesus sees you. Jesus sees YOU. Do you wish to get well?
Back to the lame man. 38 agonizing years to curse God. 38 years to resent those who got into the pool first. 38 years to give up all hope, to make peace with his condition, to live with his affliction. 38 years to curse his loneliness, lack of friends to help him, to get depressed. Really depressed.
“Do YOU wish to get well?” The words stirred the hope in that lame man. And perhaps in YOU my friend. The lame man’s response indicated he was trying still to get well.
“Get up, pick up your pallet, and walk.” Miracle words from Jesus. Immediately the man became well. A commotion then erupted for it was a Sabbath day, but Jesus had melted away into the crowd.
There’s more to this, but listen: the lame man DID NOT LET HIS CIRCUMSTANCES OR SITUATION DEFINE him. He, out of the multitudes there, had a living HOPE in the LIVING GOD, and GOD redefined him as one who was made whole!
Friend, don’t let your situation define you. Whatever it is. You don’t have to accept it; make friends with it. Hope in God, the LIVING GOD. Let HIM define you as one who has COME ALIVE!
NEW BLOG NOTIFICATION
Be notified when a new blog posts
Thank you Hank for this message….Pick up your mat and walk
Why did Jesus have him pick up the mat?
Hello Deb! I believe it was a statement to the lame man – he didn’t need a space by the pool of cripples; he was DONE with that, he was moving on! No going back.