Me ~ Do I want to get well? In what areas you ask? Well, all of them .. it's a journey, a process, it can't and won't happen over night. So, as God does His best with me ~ He graciously takes an area at a time, often overlapping a few of them too.... As He guides, directs, prunes and grows me ~ I want to be obedient and "get well."
And the degree to which we’ll do what He tells us to do to trash the trash in our lives, also holds some weight. (Weight - it's the area I am currently within ~ see, I've battled this badboy for most of my life). Sometimes we know exactly what to do to get well, but we’re just stubborn enough not to do it. Yet, He says He’s given us everything we need for life and godliness. Not that we would get caught up in just following the rules, but that we would get caught up in the grace offered to us. And I am completely and totally addicted to His grace; as there is NOTHING ~ NO THING that compares to it!
The verse that follows has come up DAILY this week, therefore, I know that I know that I know (KWiM?) that God is saying ... pay attention to this one, please! It can take me longer than the average bear.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:3-4
Mercy, what messes we are all in. Not one of us is immune and not one of us is perfect. This is both good news and bad news! Because none of us is immune to any pit of sin means we need Jesus in the worst way, but because none of us will attain perfection here on earth means we can cut one another a little slack. It also means for those of us perfectionists, to take a chill pill. Or, for those of us holding someone to a perfect standard, to take them off the high horse we’ve put them on. I am preaching to myself here ... I know, I know and still I don't ~ Uggh. Help me Lord!
I’m far from being any type of scholar, but naturally I thought of the healing at the pool that Jesus performed.
“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” John 5:1-9 (ESV)
I’m not going to pretend I know all the history of all that went on here, but can we all agree that thirty-eight years is a long time? I realize that some of us are bound up for much longer than that, but isn’t it exhausting?
I may have grown up in church, but I can assure you I didn’t even begin to think about grabbing onto some healing until I was 18 and a senior in high school. And it wasn’t for the lack of people encouraging me, pointing me towards truth and loving on me. It was because of my own pride, and the fact that I liked my sin. It felt good. I can’t imagine an invalid feeling good, but I can imagine getting too lazy in our sin that we never want to get up and move on, because if any of us have tried, we can testify that it is h-a-r-d. And healing means change, often radical change and that is H - A - R - D.
Notice that after Jesus asked him if he wanted healing, he didn’t even say yes! He gave an excuse as to why he was still laying there. I have and have had a list, a very long list of excuses (of which are all lies) and how pathetic of me ... do you have excuses? Can we at least agree, we all have excuses and to us they sound legit but they NEVER really are; so here begins the healing ~ removing the first layer of lies we believe for ourselves.
Is that not so true of us? We can think of every excuse in the book as to why our healing has yet to come to us. As to why we’re still drowning in sin. Or why that stronghold still holds all the power in the world over us. Or, "I can believe God for a miracle, even a healing, for YOU but not for me."
“I have no one to help me…” who are we waiting for? Who are you waiting for? What is that one thing you think can heal you? PLEASE, stop waiting. His name is Jesus. He is my Redeemer, Rewarder, Restorer, Re-dreamer, Lover of my soul, .... (keep the list going!)
That brokenness, that shame, that addiction, the mindset, that sin cycle, that stronghold, that lie, that greed, that lust, that past, that self hate. He came for that. Our excuses, though they may seem legitimate at the time, are illegitimate.
“Get up, take up your bed and walk!” Today is the day. Want to walk with me? Let's not do this alone ... I need YOU & YOU need me.
If it seems impossible, it might be, but the Lord knows your fears. Knows how painful it might be. But He’s still telling you to get up and walk! Walk free! Walk confidently! Maybe it’s time to stop asking God for some healing and believe He’s granted us the freedom. The freedom He gave us on the cross.
Or maybe you have yet to even ask the Lord for some freedom, but you’re dying for some! Today is the day to ask! Tell Him every single detail. What may seem insignificant to you, is not to Him.
Some of us need to let God simply demonstrate His power through us.
He is trustworthy. He cares. He sees. He loves.
Learning & Living .... m
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