What is that one thing you struggle with that you have prayed and prayed about but found no "healing"? We all have something. It is a pain, weather physical or mental (or both) that seems to stop you dead in your tracks? Sometimes when you least expect it, sometimes it is constant and lingering.
Over the past four years in particular the thing that has burdened me the most is anxiety. Ranging from a mild discomfort to full blown panic and fear that I may never be "OK" again. Some of my anxiety has seemed "reasonable" considering the circumstances at the time. Some hardly reasonable at all when I look back on it. Maybe you too struggle with anxiety, or maybe it is something else that is causing you to feel "unwell". I hope to encourage you today and am really grateful you are reading this message...it has taken 8 months and a lot of prayer and seeking to finally believe it is ready to be heard.
Back in February I was questioning "healing", is it real, is it possible, what does it mean to be "healed?" There are many stories of miraculous healing in the Bible, heck, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! He also gave sight to a blind man (John 9:1-12), drove out demons (Luke 4:33-37), told a little girl "Talitha Koum!" and she arose from a state of death to walking (Mark 5:38-42) and many more. My personal favorite being the anonymous bleeding woman who for twelve years had suffered and the Bible tells us she touched His garment and was healed (Mark 5:24-34). So at a time in my life where I too wanted "healing" I was drawn to the story of Jesus healing the invalid at the pool (John 5:1-15)
The part that struck me the most was Jesus questioning the man "Do you want to get well?" (v.6) Initially my thoughts flowed to the mans reply "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." I am hard pressed to believe that if we are honest how a lot of us would likely reply in a similar fashion. How quickly we look to other people (key word here) to lift us up and help us out. Now, I feel the need to say, THAT'S WHAT JESUS SAYS WE SHOULD DO! Was my all caps loud enough? Feeling hurt and even cast aside by other people (especially dare I suggest, Christians) is not a strange phenomenon and I would also say is an acceptable thing to feel sad and discouraged about for a time. As a matter of fact, in my humble opinion, that is likely one of the reasons God saw fit to include this in the story. But, I digress, as it is not the main issue.
This is where my months of pondering began. Why did Jesus ask this? Nothing
he said was unintentional! Nothing he said was dismissive or mocking.
Every word that Jesus spoke had eternal value! So, why would he ask an
invalid if he wanted to be well? Anyone would assume that he WANTED to
be well! For months I thought it must be that the man had some part.
He wasn't willing to accept healing or maybe he didn't think he deserved
it? Maybe he didn't even believe it was possible or real? I think it is
fair to gather from his despondence that all of these scenarios could
be accurate. I will take this a step further and admit that I spent
months reading, thinking and praying about this because these scenarios
were the very one's I was believing. Not just about the story, but about myself.
Here's were it gets
pretty amazing...what if I suggested to you that the "wellness" Jesus
was questioning had very little to do with the healing of the mans legs!
We see in verses 8-9 that Jesus commands the man to "pick up his mat
and walk" and at once, he did! Yes! However, if we jump down a few lines
we see that the man "had no idea whom healed him" Wait, What??? Then
the Bible tells us that Jesus "found him at the temple and said to him,
"see, you are well again" (v. 14) The man didn't even know it was Jesus
whom had healed his infirmity, but he knew he wanted to thank and praise
God (hence going right away to the temple)!
Jesus asked if he wanted to "be well", healed his physical suffering, but did not proclaim him "well" until he showed his FAITH!
Can
and does Jesus heal in many ways including physical, mental and emotional...YES! Do these "healings" equal or equate to being made
"well"...NO! Only our faith and belief in JESUS makes us well. Our belief in Jesus gives us salvation! Salvation means it is well with our soul! If it is well with our soul, it is well no matter what! Struggle or not.
Physical healing or not...It Is Well.
More to come...
Live Loved,
Melissa
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