Do You Want to Get Well?

There is an interesting story about a man who had been sick for years that Jesus comes upon.

John 5:5 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?”

At first reading it seems like such a silly question. Of course, he wanted to get well. Who wouldn't want to get well. But the man never really answers the question, he just begins explaining why he can't get to the place of healing. In his own way, he was saying I would love to be healed but it is someone elses fault that I can't get there. The blame game seems so unfair, and yet it is so real ... today.

Now I know that this guy was crippled, but it doesn't seem as if he attempted to make any preparations for receiving the cure he so desperately needed until the time was upon him. The water in the pool stirred signifying that a miracle was about to take place. A panic came over the one who couldn't walk or possibly even crawl for that matter, because he had no way to get to the water. Here's my hint, "when the water stirs, it's too late to do anything othr than jump, or fall, in."

I wonder if it ever dawned on him to get closer to the place of healing when everything was quiet. Doesn't seem like it? But what a break ... the ultimate healer happens to walk right up to him. Even though he was in the general neighborhood of healing, he wasn't near the place of supernatural healing, but the healer came to him and ambushes him with his healing touch.

I am learning more and more that God can do anything He wants to do and He typically ambushes me with his love when I least expect it. (thus an ambush) But I am also learning that life tends to go much better and God can work more in my life the closer I am to where He really wants me to be. Unfortunately, like this man I find myself close but not close enough.

Here's my thought. I see a lot of people continually doing the same thing and expecting different results. Always kind of close to where they need to be, but wanting something different to happen without moving even closer to the "pool". "If you keep doing what you've been doing you are going to keep getting what you have been getting."

Do you want to get well? Why not get as close as you can to the pool, so that all you have to do is fall into Jesus arms.