Wilt thou be made whole?

I've chosen for my life verses for 2016 two parts of a passage from John 5.  They've been on my mind for a long time and if you know anything about me, being on my mind can be quite the adventure!  One thought leads to another that takes me down a different road where I wonder about this and then ponder about that.  As I told Steve yesterday when we wrapped up the morning's lesson on The Armor of God study we are doing and he had commented on how well he had enjoyed that lesson but wasn't sure that I had since I was so distracted by these life verses, I told him "I don't have a one-track mind.  I have a whole playlist going on in there!"  

Can you relate to me?  No matter how good your intentions, no matter how strong you purpose to do something, you find your mind on too many different tangents and you just wander about, hoping that eventually it will all come together and some sense can be made?  Yesterday, I woke up early, so excited to begin this journey but decided I'd do some pre-writing first.  After all, I used to tell my students to do this so that their essays would be more fluent.  Focus on three points, I'd tell them, and keep it to the point with just enough details to show a good understanding of what they were writing about.  If you are a faithful reader of mine, you know I can tend to ramble about on occasion so part of my plans for this year are to be more succinct.  We'll see how that turns out!  

John writes of a meeting of an impotent man and Jesus in chapter five of the Bible.  I will be referring to it for a while now so let's go ahead and read that passage now, shall we?

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 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?

7 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.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed Himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day.

Quite a passage huh? There is so much to be gleaned from this and I hope I can do it justice!

As mentioned, I have two portions of this to claim as my life verses for this year. The first is the question itself: Wilt thou be made whole? The second is the response: Sir, I have no man...

Friends, are you like me and tired of not being all you were meant to be? Are you finally ready to stop making excuses and get on with the abundant life that Christ Jesus Himself has promised you? If so, I invite you again to wander with me on this journey of scripture and get real, get answers, and get better. Whole. Let's not be afraid to touch the hem of His garment and allow Jesus to press through our madness. Yeah, that is from another story but as mentioned, in my head there are so many thoughts going on in there and after all, doesn't all scripture work together for good?

Let's pray!

Dear God, I am so excited about this opportunity to delve into Your Word! I just know I am going to be the better for it.

Father, as others perhaps join me on this venture, I ask You to come to us just as You did to the impotent man. He lie in his condition for thirty-eight years. Thirty-eight years, Lord! Some of us have been in our messes for a long period of time as well and Lord? We too are tired of the excuses. Tired of being looked over and brushed aside as the world jumps ahead of us and tries to steal what is rightfully ours. Make us whole is my prayer, Lord God. Be our Man!

In the name of Jesus I pray this. Amen.