Passage of the Day:
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 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?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “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.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, John 5:1-9.
Reflection:
As flawed human beings, there is at least one part of our body that doesn’t function as God intended. This could be a noticeable birthmark, an injury or recent scar from a surgery. According to Jesus, the man he encountered had been an invalid for 38 years. Perhaps when this man was a little boy, he dreamed of being able to walk like everyone else. Yet, as time passed, he had given up hope of ever being healed.
Prayerful Action:
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him, Hebrews 11:5-6.
Renewing Your Mind:
As someone born with a severe speech impediment, I never imagined that I would ever be able to clearly express myself. This struggle continued into college where my roommate opened my mind of God being able to do the impossible. When a group of men laid their hands on me to be healed of stuttering, I felt the power of the Holy Spirit go through my body. Yet, it would take time for my mind to overcome doubts that kept breaking through for this miracle to fully arrive.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus, Philippians 1:3-6. As you battle with doubt and unbelief, may today’s devotion prompt you to become open to God doing the impossible in your own life.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 