Your Daily Devotional for October 24, 2006

 

October 24, 2006

 

 

Somebody Help Me!

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”

 

John 5:5-7

 

 

Before us today is a beautiful picture of the grace of God. The pool of Bethesda which means “the house of mercy” was a place where lame and sick people could find healing. Every so often an angel would come down and stir the water of the pool, and the first person to touch the water would be healed.

 

The man in our passage, who had been sick for thirty-eight years, had been trying to get to the water for some time, but was forced to live with his infirmity because he had no one there to help him. He said in verse 7, “I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”

 

Not only did he have a physical infirmity, but he also had a spiritual infirmity. More than needing physical healing, he needed a healing of his heart. He had placed hope in the pool at Bethesda, but didn’t know of Christ.

 

Have you ever thought of how many people passed by this man each day? How many people saw him struggling to get into the water but did nothing about it? How many Christians passed by him without taking time to let him know of the spiritual healing that Christ offers? Maybe he sat there and begged and called for people to come help him each time the water was troubled. With each failed attempt, a piece of hope died in him. He no longer believed that he could actually be healed.

 

Of course, we think, “How awful! Why didn’t anyone help him? Had I been there, I would have helped him!” But think about this story in today’s world. How many times have you passed an unsaved person at the store without helping them to the “house of mercy”—God’s Word? How many times have you felt the Holy Spirit telling you to invite someone to church but you ignored Him? Whether they show it or not, this world is crying out to us for help. They are begging for answers and for someone to show them where they can get help! We have the answers, but how many times have we selfishly walked passed them, concerned only with ourselves?

 

We would hate to see all the missed opportunities that God has given us to witness to someone. God knows what that person is going through, and He orchestrates our lives so we can tell them of Christ at the right time in their life! When we miss that opportunity to tell them, we miss the great blessings God has in store for us. Friend, I don’t want to miss one single blessing God has for me!

 

Who have you been passing by? Whose voice have you been ignoring? Who is crying out for you to help them today? Ask God to help you be sensitive to His Holy Spirit and to not miss one opportunity in telling others of Him.

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