"John 4:43-5:15
Desperate for healing
There are times in our lives when we are desperate for healing – either for others, or for ourselves. In this life our prayers for healing will not always be answered. Unanswered prayer can be a difficult and painful thing to wrestle with (my friend Pete Greig has written an excellent book on this subject called God on Mute). As we saw in today’s introduction though, sometimes God does intervene miraculously to bring healing. We see here two examples of this, both coming about as a result of desperate prayer:
Healing for others
The royal official begged Jesus to heal his son (v.47), who was on the brink of death.
‘Jesus put him off: “Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe” ’ (v.48, MSG). But the official would not be put off: ‘Come down! It’s life or death for my son’ (v.49, MSG).
Jesus responded to the man’s faith. The man believed that if Jesus came he could heal his son. Jesus asked him to go one step further and believe that his words from miles away could heal his son. The man did believe. And Jesus performed the miracle – he heard the man’s desperate prayer and healed his son. As a result, his whole household believed (v.53).
Healing for ourselves
Jesus healed a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years (5:5). He must have been desperate. He had been putting his hope in the healing powers of the waters of Bethesda, which would bubble up periodically, and it was thought that the first person in after the waters bubbled up would be healed. But this man had no one to help him get in first (v.7).
Joyce Meyer writes of this incident that, in effect, Jesus said to the man: ‘Don’t just lie there, do something!’ She continues: ‘Self-pity is a major problem. I know, because I have lived in self-pity for many years. It affected me, my family and the plan of God for my life. God finally told me that I could be pitiful or I could be powerful, but I could not be both. If I wanted to be powerful, I had to give up self-pity.
‘Being sexually abused for approximately fifteen years and growing up in a dysfunctional home left me lacking confidence and filled with shame. I wanted to have good things in my life, but I was stuck in emotional torment and despair.
‘Like the man in John 5, Jesus did not give me pity either. Jesus was actually very firm with me and He applied a lot of tough love, but His refusal to let me wallow in self-pity was a turning point in my life. I am not in the pit any longer. I now have a great life. If you will reject self-pity, actively look to God and do what He instructs you to do, you can have a great life too.’
Thank you, Lord, that you hear my prayers for healing. Thank you that you have miraculously healed me in the past. Lord, today I cry out to you for healing for …"
1. Hallelujah for the healing. My bitterness is gone. Thank You, Lord. You make everything new.
2. Today was fun, Lord. Thank You for keeping us safe and to be able to enjoy the gift of life that You have given. Amen!
3. My legs are probably super strong now. Thank You, Lord, for the physical strength. :D
4. Praise God for the year that has passed and I pray for You to bless this coming new year. Thank You for loved ones who remembered. Amen. =)
