In John 5:5-9, we read the story of the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. Jesus asks the man a question, “Do you want to be healed?” He had been lame for 38 years and we do not know how long he had been beside the pool hoping for healing. Of course, he wanted to be healed. His response was one of hopeless desperation, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” But then Jesus! Imagine how it must have felt to instantly be healed and able for the first time in years to move without help! The ripples from this story continue through the centuries.
In Scripture, we read the sad story of the rich young ruler who said “No” when Jesus asked him to take a step of faith by following him. He had put his faith in his riches which would never be enough. Why is it that we say “no” to God? Just a few years ago, I became stuck in my journey with the LORD. I felt bereft of His presence and was approaching quiet desperation. A friend suggested I become part of a training that would not only help me but show me how to walk with others on similar journeys. Driving on my way to the first meeting, I remember exactly where I was when I almost turned around to go home. I thought this won’t work either, why bother, nothing will change again! But I decided to take that step of faith anyway and continued on. I am so glad that I did as the Lord helped me become ‘unstuck’ and be blessed to accompany others in their walks with the Lord. The ripples from not turning around on that highway continue to grow.
“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
If we truly believed these words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, what ripples of faith might there be? We would trust in His love, His peace, His joy, His sovereignty and not in those things that promise that which they can never fully deliver. We would not trust in anything this world has to offer and those ripples would be eternal.
Reflection:
If Jesus were to ask you, “Do you want to be______________?”
What would you put in the blank? Loved, healed, peace-filled, content, etc. Meditate on Matthew 7:7 and consider what your “yes” will be.
Francie Overstreet