God has not given up on us

‘One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 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?”’ John 5.5-6

There is something incredibly hopeful about this detail from the story of Jesus healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. It probably strikes you that if someone had been in such a dire condition for 38 years, it would be natural to assume that not much was going to change. That was not what struck Jesus. The man may well have been there for a long time, but that did not mean he had to stay in misery.

What this account says to us is that no matter who we are, and no matter how long we have been suffering, God has not forgotten us. Nor are we right to assume that just because we have been suffering for a long time there is no more hope of help from God. So how do we approach God when our condition is long-standing?

Perhaps one of the main things we can hold on to is the fact that Jesus is with us. In this story, Jesus was in the place where those in need gathered. Similarly, he is with us and is not embarrassed by us. When we pray, his attitude is not one of, “Not you again!” When we come to him today, he is there for us, just as he was the first time we ever approached him.

Be yourself with Jesus today; you don’t need to hide anything from him. He is with you anyway and knows you through and through.

www.healingmission.org

#healingmission #encounterprayer #nevergiveup #healing #getwell #sickness #misery #hope