In John 5, we read the story about the man who had been invalid for 38 years, and was lying at the pool of Bethesda. We read how Jesus came to him and in verse 6 the Bible tells us, “When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?'” What an awesome day that was for this man – invalid for 38 years, he had probably given up any hope of ever being healed or in any way helped with his problems…until Jesus came and said to him “Do you want to be healed?”
Look at verses 8-9 of that chapter which tells us, “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’ And AT ONCE the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” Notice it doesn’t tell us that the man had to wait 30 days to see if some medicine worked or if his invalidity might go into remission…AT ONCE, IMMEDIATELY, he was healed. The Bible records many other such miracles of Jesus and instant results…because as the Bible tells us in “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) In Him alone rests the power to do WHATEVER He chooses.
We often spend so much effort trying to work things out in our own strength, and trying to make our own way in this life – when yet at the same time we claim to trust in Him. Jesus Christ isn’t just a name we use when we pray or when we sing – He is the Son of God, and He can work in our lives just as miraculously as He did in the lives of those we read in the Bible. His name IS awesome and amazing, but it’s not just a name, He died on the cross for our sins and IN HIM ALONE we can find amazing strength and power to do WHATEVER HE CALLS US TO DO! When we learn to TRUST HIM ALONE and nothing else.