“Do
You Want to Be Well?” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)
He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district
down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes
fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can
multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water
comes, the sea shall be made fresh.” (Ezekiel 47:8-9)
The Lord of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob. (Psalm 46:8)
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time,
he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I
have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on
my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take
up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and
walked. (John 5:5-9)
Piety
Heal me, Father, especially of the
illnesses to which I cling.
Study
So that’s the question, isn’t it?
“Do you want to be well?” Jesus asks
one of the men in the pool porticos at Bethesda. But all the man does in reply
is complain about how no one helps him. Jesus throws down the challenge to get
up rather than waiting for anything other than the Divine help he offers. When
the man takes it, he finds he can indeed walk again for the first time in
decades.
Do you want to be well? For me, it
depends on the situation. Sometimes, it’s just easier to complain. Other times,
I privately wonder if I’m worthy of health. Feeling unworthy is as safe a place
to me as whining was to that sick man.
Do you want to be well? Pray on that
today. We likely think we would have answered Jesus with a, “Of course I do!”
But wellness implies strength and the ability to put aside our excuses—and walk
with Him.
Action
If you don’t really want to be made
well, talk with Jesus about why. Listen to His response.
Image credit: William Hole, 1846-1917 / Public domain
No comments:
Post a Comment