John 5:6-8

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?" Sir, the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."

This encounter between Jesus and an invalid man happened at a healing pool, where the man in question had been coming daily for 38 years, waiting his turn for some miracle. He never (apparently) asked for help or tried doing anything except lying there waiting, miserable and self-pitying.

After listening to his excuses, Jesus didn't scold him but commanded him to take up his mat and walk.

We are told in the verse that follows that the man "at once picked up his mat and walked."

How many of us are similar to that man? We lie here in our misery, waiting for someone to help us, but never picking ourselves up and taking action to walk out of our misery, to break that bad habit that we have worn for years, to change directions, to choose a new path.

Jesus can and will help us to overcome our afflictions, but we must change, we must get up and walk away from our hurts, habits, and hangups. Jesus will help, but he expects us to do our part. When we do, like the invalid man, who "at once picked up his mat and walked," we can walk too!

We can walk away from excuses, from self-pity, from fear, with Jesus' help.

If you need Jesus' help in your life, please pray with me…

Prayer

Dear God, if I have things I need to change in my life, please show me the way. Help me to change my habits and to pick myself up and walk a new way. In Jesus' name we pray. AMEN!

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.