“The sick man answered, ‘Sir, there is no one to help me get into the water when it starts moving. I try to be the first one into the water. But when I try, someone else always goes in before I can.'” ~ John 5:7 (ERV)
REFERENCE:
John 5:1-9 (ERV)
We often find ourselves in situations where we wish to get something, be somewhere, or have the opportunity to meet someone, but our wishes elude us. A sense of hopelessness soon engulfs you, and you mutter, “I have no one to help me.” Especially in a country like ours where it is all about who you know, we wish somebody was there to pull strings for us, cover for us, or help us out. For some of us, it has been our way of explaining things away.
Only the strongest, fastest, and fittest were healed at Bethesda’s pool. That suggests that those really in need of healing missed out. That mimics life. Those with qualifications, experience, know-how, etc., don’t get the jobs. The person with the ‘connection’ does. The poor do not get enough attention; the sick do not have the money to get good treatment; the brightest student may not have a sponsor to further his education, etc. Why? Because there is no one to help.
The situation at the pool was a pretty sad one. It was a gathering of people ostracized by society and ignored by the system. They were sick, weak, distressed, and needing repair. Their station in life hindered them, and they lived their lives on the chance that they may step into the water first after the angel stirred it. Such people need help that is beyond their society.
Things changed for the man who had been ill for 38 years when Jesus showed up. When asked if he would like to be healed, the rhetoric, “I have no one to help me,” was his default response. Jesus healed him nonetheless; He forever settled the fact that you don’t need a man to get ahead in life; you need God. He may sometimes use men, but He alone is enough help for you. Our help is in the name of the Lord; vain is the help of man; he does not know tomorrow.
No matter where you have found yourself, how long you have been there, your desires, and having no one to help you, God has an answer; He has a way out of that situation. You may need help to afford the best lawyer or doctor, and you may have no one to get you access to your next level. Remember, you have Jesus. He will come to your Bethesda today, pick you out of a crowd, and demonstrate His goodness to you, in Jesus’ name.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL STUDY:
Psalm 121:1-8 and Psalm 27:9-10
CONFESSION:
“Today, I look to God alone, for my help comes from Him. I receive strength in place of weakness. I receive wholeness in place of sickness. I receive sufficiency in place of lack, and my matter gets God’s attention today, in Jesus’s name. In any area where life has kept me at a standstill, I receive the touch of divine grace today. I will arise and go forward, in Jesus’ name!”
Amen!