“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in
this condition for a long time, he asked him,
‘Do you want to get well?’” John 5:6
“I think I need to go to the doctor.” For my grandmother to admit that meant she really needed help. Going to the doctor was reserved for when you had done all you knew to do. You waited for things to get better on their own, seeking medical help only if you couldn’t stand it anymore. She had fallen when she went to the mailbox and hurt her leg. It was swollen, painful, and broken, and she had walked on it for two days.
Born in 1886 and brought to New Mexico by wagon in about 1888, my grandmother was used to hardship. Her father and older brother were murdered in the corral one morning. Another brother lived the rest of his life with a bullet lodged close to his spine.
She had eight children, survived the Great Depression, and had two sons in the military during WWII. When my grandfather became unable to work, they left the community where they spent most of her lives and moved to the city. She worked hard, possessed little, and didn’t complain, even when she was almost blind. Her faith in God was not something she talked about much, but I know it was there.
John tells of a man who lay as an invalid for thirty-eight years. It seems odd that Jesus would ask if he wanted to get well, but He did. The man said he had no one to help him into the pool of Bethesda, noted for its healing waters. Jesus’ reply was not what you would expect. He simply told the man to get up, pick up his bed, and walk.
We have to be willing to admit our helplessness. We must be willing to let Jesus touch and heal us, and then act in faith, obeying what He says. No matter what your problem, Jesus can and will heal you, but first you must admit you are powerless. Unlike this man, it may not be exactly the healing you would expect, but He will heal in the way He knows you need it the most.
Assess your condition, physical, emotional, or spiritual. Recognize you can’t fix things yourself. Admit you need His help, and reach out to Jesus today. He is waiting, and willing to lift you out of your helplessness.
© Copyright 2012 by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman and www.normagail-2mefromhim.blogspot.com. All Rights Reserved.
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