The story is told in John Chapter 5. In Jerusalem, there was a pool called Bethesda. Crowds of sick people gathered there, hoping for a miracle. One man had been coming to the pool for 38 years. Jesus asked this man “Do you want to get well?” The man replied with excuses. He said, “ Nobody will help me and I can’t help myself.” Jesus told him “You, get up, take up your bed and walk.”

What can we take away from the story of the man at the Pool of Bethesda? Many people are lying around waiting for help from someone, or a miracle from God to improve their situation. I believe Jesus would say “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” This applies to so many situations.

Many people have made the government their god. They want the government to make people love them, keep them safe, and provide for their every need. But the government is a false god. If you want your situation to be made better, then you should stop depending on the government. Instead, you have to get up, look to Jesus for strength and go to work.

A lot of Christians are wallowing in their besetting sins. They sit around hoping and praying that someone will help them or that God will miraculously save them from their chosen sin. Jesus asks “Do you want to be free from your shame?” They make excuses, “ I can’t change, nobody will help me.” But Jesus says “You get up, listen to God, and walk away from your sinful choices.”

Most churches are praying for a supernatural stirring of a Holy Spirit revival. Maybe once a year they plan for a high-powered evangelist to come and help them to overcome their weakness. Meanwhile, Jesus is asking “Do you want to be made well?” Excuses are flying everywhere, they say; people won’t come to church, and people are not interested in Spiritual things. But God is not interested in your excuses. He says; you get up, you go into all the world and you make disciples of all kinds of people.

This is the bottom line, (which many don’t want to hear). No matter what your situation is, if you are not willing to put forth the effort to help yourself, then God will let you sit there and rot. However, if you want to be made well, Jesus will help you. But you must choose to get up and walk.

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends