Do you want to be made well?

Scripture: John 5:5-9

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made 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, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked. NKJV

Objective:

Know that there is a God who heals. We all experience physical illnesses that are temporary and some of us may be stricken with life-long bodily challenges. Emotional health may be an issue for some. We are born with a Spiritual birth defect which separates us from fellowship with God due to a sin nature. However, God is willing and has the power to heal us of all our maladies. Exodus 15:26b says "... for I am the LORD who heals you." NIV

Application:

The conversation recorded in John 5:5-9 between Jesus and the man at the pool of Bethesda is rich with truth. Jesus knew the man before he laid eyes on him sitting in his infirmities beside the waters. Jesus went directly to him in the middle of a crowd of people. Jesus knew that the man had been there for a long time and knew exactly what his ailment was. He asked the man a simple but obvious question. "Do you want to be made well?" Simple enough! What is interesting is the man's answer. What should have been a resounding "Yes!" answer was anything but. The man begins to explain to Jesus his challenges and presents excuses as to why he hasn't been healed up to this point. 

Jesus knows each of us. He has known us from our beginning. He knows the extent of our trials. He can spot us in any crowd and He knows our illnesses, our hurts and our challenges. Just as He came to that man at the pool of Bethesda - He comes to us and asks us if we want to be made well! 

Jesus didn't address the man's statements. Instead He told him to get up, pack up and walk away. Regardless of what we have gone through, Jesus continues to tell us to trust Him, to roll up the comfortable place we have made for ourselves in our afflictions and to live in the truth of His healing. 

He is Jehovah Rapha - The God who heals. When He asks us if we want to be made well, how do we respond? Do we sit in our afflictions and drone on about why we aren't healed yet or do we zero in on the fact that the God who heals is waiting to make us well? How often do we continue to sit where we are and miss the healing Jesus offers? We may not all experience physical healing this side of eternity but we can live in the truth that He will make us well and we can live in that truth as if it has already taken place. 


Prayer:

Lord we praise you for being the God who heals. You are Jehovah Rapha and the God who knows us by name and loves each of us individually. Lord I pray that we will accept Your provision of healing for all of our illnesses whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual and walk away from our own pools of Bethesda with the confidence that our healing is guaranteed by You. In the name of Jesus, our healer I pray, Amen