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Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-02-07 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
John 5:5–9 (TLB) |
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Text: |
5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew how long he had been ill, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| This is part of the story that speaks about the crippled man who laid along the colonnades of the Pool at Bethesda, together with others who were blind, lame, or paralyzed. This particular man had been lame for 38 years and part of his reason for being at the pool was to beg arms of those who would come to bathe in the pool, for he had to hope for getting better, since he was unable to get off his bed and be the first to rush into the pool for healing when the waters started moving. Most other miracles performed in the New Testament resulted from folk begging, or touching or calling out to Jesus for healing, but this one was quite different. For in response to Jesus’ question, the man gave the long answer, and shared the hopelessness of his situation that not only prevented him from moving to gain his independence, but also hindered him from taking the necessary step that would bring about his wellness – his healing. Little did he know that he was in the presence of the greatest Healer, the very one who created Him and provided for him each and every day! The man didn’t know Jesus, nor did he know of His healing power, so he merely gave Jesus his sob story, instead of anxiously reaching out to Jesus for healing. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I wonder how many of us could stop, think, and come up with a parallel between the lame man at the pool-side, compared to our own story and/or actions? How many of us get so caught up in our own sad stories that we overlook the hand that is extended to help us navigate this rough life and overcome the obstacles that seem to block us at every turn? Are we one to take that lemon and enjoy some lemonade, instead of whining and complaining about its tangy, sour, bitter, acid-filled taste that is good for nothing? What must others be saying about us when they see us coming? Complainer; whiner; discourager; faithless; imitator of Satan; or a curse? Or might we be seen as one with all of the opposite attributes and filled with the Spirit of God? Can we answer a direct question if the Master walked into our presence and asked about our needs? Do we truly have the faith to honor the commands of the God that we serve, and actually attempt to stand up; roll up our mat; and walk away, when told to do so? Or are we too content in our whining and complaining? I have a friend who is blind from birth, and I have never seen a more positive person. He is able to make blind jokes to help folk like me who feel sorry for him. He has gone on with his life, even with his handicap, and is succeeding and excelling in many, many ways. An evangelist who is badly handicapped by MS once asked in his sermon after telling his story: “so what’s your problem healthy friend, why are you sitting back saying you can’t?” Friends, I believe that Jesus is very aware of our limitations, but He also said in His Word ‘that’s OK, for in your weakness and inabilities, I will be more easily recognized for the awesome work that I will do through you’. Jesus made us just as we are, for His glory. Would you say that He is glorified by the way that we have accepted His masterpiece? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, please be merciful to me, a sinner saved by the grace of my awesome Savior. For I often feel sorry for myself, or feel incapable of speaking to others, or feel unworthy of the calling that You have placed on my life. I don’t believe I’m alone in feeling this way Lord, for our churches are not filled and I still see many in our neighborhoods who are still lost in their sin. Please help us to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and please help us to be obedient to You in everything we do or say, for only what’s done for Jesus will last, and will be worth it all, when we see You face-to-face. The man in our story today was lame and he couldn’t… We also have many excuses as to why we can’t be Your followers, Your disciple, and Your witness to our lost friends and family. Please forgive us Lord, and fill us once again with Your power, Your encouragement and Your boldness. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Category: Excuses
What’s Your Excuse?
May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………
Today’s Bible Reference: Luke 9:59–62
Today’s Bible Text: 59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” 62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)
My Take Away: There’s probably a sermon in the initial command from Jesus; in each of the excuses given by the men He addressed; and also in the responses given back by Jesus. I want to reflect for a moment on the challenge Jesus faced when He knew that He was destined for the cross. No excuses, but instead, just His willingness to do the will of the Father. Now, before we beat up on the excuses used here by the men in this story, I wonder what excuses we give Jesus every day for prioritizing Him out of our daily schedule. Oh how it must hurt Him when His own children admits day after day that He was not a priority in their lives. Instead of digging into God’s Word we _________. Instead of bowing our knees before our Holy God and talking to Him about the challenges we were expecting yesterday, we took our chances, and saw pitiful results. Instead of giving God credit for our blessings, a chance to witness to our neighbor, instead we bragged about how good we are and how we planned for that moment of success, or we may have even attributed our success to good luck. Friends, did we do enough and say enough to encourage a sinner to follow us to the cross of Calvary to meet Jesus? Let me be daring and remind you that someone is watching you. They thought that they heard you were a Christian, so they believe they are safe in following in your footsteps, hoping that you would lead them to Jesus. How did you do yesterday? Are there any changes that you need to make today to help ensure that your closeness to the cross and to the Master will be a bold witness to someone who needs Jesus? It’s not a thing of pretense, for Jesus knows your heart, and your friends will quickly identify the intent of your heart based on your character. Let’s act today in preparation for meeting face-to-face with the Master tonight. Hopefully we can meet with Jesus unashamedly, and with no excuses!
Prayer: It is unfortunate dear Lord that we are still as full of excuses as these men that you challenged in this scripture today. Even after all that You did for us at Calvary, and even after all that You do for us each and every day. Please forgive us Lord. There are no really legitimate excuses. We admit that we have allowed this old world with its many time constraints, to take priority in our lives, and we have therefore pushed You aside and will try to satisfy our broken relationship with You through excuse after excuse. Please forgive us, and refill us with the joy of our salvation. Please remind us of the awesome God that we serve, adore and love. May we draw close to You today, is my prayer of faith and commitment, AMEN!
Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!
2016
Nuggets From God's Word 