DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-11-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 5:2-6
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: ² Near Sheep Gate in Jerusalem was a pool called Bethesda in Hebrew. It had five porches. ³ Under these porches a large number of sick people—people who were blind, lame, or paralyzed—used to lie. ⁵ One man, who had been sick for 38 years, was lying there. ⁶ Jesus saw the man lying there and knew that he had been sick for a long time. So Jesus asked the man, “Would you like to get well?”

APPLICATION: In our Scripture today, I was once again reminded how Jesus deals with us individually, and how He deals with our infirmities. There was another incident where a lame man sat along the road that Jesus was expected to travel. The lame man shouted so loudly to get the attention of Jesus, that he was told by Jesus’ disciples to be quiet. But among all the people that lined the street that day, Jesus chose to stop and pay particular attention to the lame man. He didn’t immediately heal him, but just as in the case of the man that sat on the porch at the pool of Bethsaida, Jesus asked them to verbalize their need. Seems very obvious, doesn’t it? But it seems like not only did Jesus want the lame men to identify their needs, but He wanted them to see it was their day! At the pool, the Bible says that many sat around waiting for the moving of the waters. Along the roadside, the lame man was one of many who not only wanted to see Jesus, but I’m sure that based on the many stories they had heard about the awesome power of Jesus, they were hoping that He would possibly have mercy on them that day. We are not told if there was anything special that drew Jesus to either of the men reference above, but one thing for sure is that this was ’their day’, and Jesus chose to heal them based of their need. How will you know if Jesus has planned to heal your body today or tomorrow? In the case of these lame men, there was absolutely no one who could tell them to be present, shout real loud, look a certain way, or anything. For it was Jesus who saw them and chose to heal them that day. No doubt He knew their need from a very young age. No doubt they had been at events where Jesus showed up before, and no doubt they screamed for His attention at those times also. I believe the message in this Scripture today is that we must never grow weary in praising God, nor petitioning His throne for our needs and desires. One day it will be our turn for Jesus to look on us, and out of the goodness of His heart, He will meet our desperate needs. Perhaps today you are standing before the throne in desperation, praying that God will meet a certain need for yourself or a loved one. God knows you intimately my friend, so keep on pressing Him for your needs. One day your time will come, and you will encounter the Great I Am, and be healed, enriched, encouraged, of just lifted up. It will be your time for a close encounter with the Master! So never give up, and be ready to give an account of the burning need that is impacting your life!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Although the lame men did nothing different, yet Jesus saw them where they were at, and chose to make their day! Among all the others that were looking to Him that day, yet Jesus saw these lame men and chose to give them the desire of their hearts. We must never give up on petitioning our God, for one day He will choose to grant us our heart’s desire, or meet our greatest need.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for not only creating us, but also hearing our most urgent and intimate cry. It is evident that You keep a very close and constant eye on our needs and hear the desires of our heart. Thank You for showing us through Your Word that You need no rhyme or reason to heal us, but just as Your eye is on the sparrow and You meet their every need, You are also watching over us and waiting to do the same for us. May we always be about our Master’s work, and may we be constant in asking, knowing that one day You will make our day and heal our diseases also. Your love is amazing and beyond comprehension for humble men to understand, but praise God we know that there is nothing You can’t do! Like the lame men, we’ll keep pleading our case and waiting for Your power to be unveiled and unleashed in us! 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!