Find Healing in Jesus

Daily Reading: John 5

In these lay a multitude of invalids (John 5.3)

Devotional Thought: In today's scripture, there is a need for three healings:

·       Misplaced hope.  Before Jesus came to the pool, there had been some miraculous, yet random, healings at the pool, and the man, along with the rest of the crowd, had hoped that they would be repeated.  Day after day he was disappointed.  Either the waters of healing were not stirred, or he was too slow to be the first into the water afterward.  Jesus saw that his hope was misplaced.  God is not random or capricious.  The paralyzed man needed to put his hope in Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13.8).

·       Atrophied faith.  He didn't believe there was help for his healing.  I find it amazing how the man expresses his need, Jesus speaks a simple word, and a miracle occurs!  There really is not a lot of “fanfare” around this event.  It was just God meeting the need right where it was.  Naaman, the Old Testament commander, almost missed his healing because he wanted something spectacular done, something befitting a man of his rank.

·       Hardened hearts.  The religious leaders had placed a higher priority on keeping the Sabbath than on the health and well-being of the people.  What a contrast between Jesus – the Son of God who was the Lord of the Sabbath – and these legalistic, unfeeling leaders!  Jesus knew that the Sabbath was meant for man and not man for Sabbath.   He then showed them the true way to God.

What about you?  Do you need healing today?  Do you have a misplaced hope?  Are there areas of atrophy in your faith?  Have you allowed your heart to become hard in any areas?  Find healing in Jesus!

Prayer: Lord, I come to you for healing, for you are Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals me.  Heal my hopes, my faith, and my heart I pray.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 35.18-21

18 I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.

19 Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause.

20 For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit.

21 They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it! ”