John 5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
For 38 years this man was waiting, at a pool called Bethesda which meant “house of mercy”. He along with many others were waiting for the waters to move. They were anticipating something to happen, they were looking for it, and when it started to move they wanted to be the first to jump in. Of course only a few made it in and the rest watched hoping and waiting for their time to be the first. How many of us are waiting for “our time to jump in”. We watch from the distance knowing that God says something will happen, and it has happened for others. Perhaps we had heard that there was this person who was touched a while ago, and there was another one whom God ministered to. One person got an answered prayer, another a restored relationship, one person was physically healed, another received a direct word from God. Those occasional ones were touched, but we are waiting for our turn.
Interestingly Jesus comes into that situation and asks if the man wanted his situation, his area of expectation, to be ministered to (in this case he wanted healing). Of course the man had excuses as to why he had not yet received what he was looking for. To which Jesus says, “Rise , take up your bed and walk.”
Today you are at the house of mercy. Start to rise forward knowing that Jesus is there with you. We don’t need to wait for some experience, some moving of the water or some mighty anointing of God, we can just start to rise up now, with expectation, knowing that Jesus is there and that He will help us.
Powerful word… Love how you broke down its meaning