Published by admin on 03 Apr 2015 at 10:58 am
GOD IS MORE WILLING THAN WE ARE
So many tell me they are waiting on God to do something for them. For some, it is salvation for a loved one, for another it is lifting a financial burden or a healing, or some other pressing need. But to each of them, my answer is always the same: You are not waiting for God, God is waiting for YOU. That statement often rubs people the wrong way, because they may have been suffering for a very long time. But whether it rubs them the wrong way or not, it is the TRUTH. You know, telling someone the truth doesn’t always make them happy. We have our own ways of doing things and it’s hard sometimes to see things any other way than our own way.
I’m reminded of a man Jesus healed in John chapter five who gives us one example of “waiting on God”:
Joh 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Joh 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
Joh 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
Joh 5:4 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.
Joh 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
Joh 5:6 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?
Joh 5:7 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.
Joh 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
Joh 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
Joh 5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
Joh 5:11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
Joh 5:12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
Joh 5:13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
Joh 5:14 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.
You’ll notice this man had an infirmity thirty eight years. Folks, that’s a LONG time to suffer, and he wanted relief from it. How do I know? because he was at the Pool of Bethesda, where healings took place. But when Jesus asked him Wilt thou be made whole?, what should the answer have been? YES LORD!! But no, he gave an excuse why he was laying there and had not received his healing: 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.
Here God had demonstrated His willingness to heal, and nobody was having to twist God’s arm to talk Him into doing it. God was CLEARLY willing to heal, but the man had his excuse. WE make excuses like this man did. Believe me, if it was me at that pool instead of him, I would have laid on the very edge of the pool and the moment the angel moved the waters, I would have at least dunked my head into it. If you want something bad enough, YOU WILL FIND A WAY. No excuse necessary. Jesus came with compassion for this man, and the man responded with an excuse. STILL, Jesus responded with compassion: Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 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. I would gather the man was thankful for his healing and went into the temple to offer praise to God. Have you ever wondered why Jesus told him to sin no more? What might his sin have been? Could it have been his “excuses”? We don’t know, but Jesus, in His compassion, gave him a warning how to avoid more problems in the future, and WORSE ones at that!
Now, like I said earlier, if you want something bad enough, YOU WILL FIND A WAY. Consider the lady in Mark chapter five with the issue of blood. Now THIS lady wanted her healing……AND she got it!
Mar 5:21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
Mar 5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
Mar 5:23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
Mar 5:24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
Mar 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
Mar 5:26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
Mar 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
Mar 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
Mar 5:29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
Mar 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
Mar 5:31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Mar 5:32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
Mar 5:33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
Mar 5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Maybe you know this, maybe not: in Jewish society, if a woman had an issue of blood, she was considered unclean. For her to go out in public meant certain death, for the law called for her to be stoned for defying the law. She knew the law, yet she wanted her healing and was willing to risk even her life to have it. She could have made the standard excuse, “Well, Jesus is coming, but I’m here in my house and cannot go out because I’m unclean”. And her excuse would have been valid. But she was not having any of that today. She had spent all her living on doctors (like some people today still do) and was not better, but worse. She wanted her healing and was prepared to do WHATEVER she had to do to have it. ANYTHING! So what did she do? She went to Jesus and TOOK her healing. You’ll notice, she never even asked Jesus to heal her. Why? Because she already knew it was God’s will for her to be whole, because Jesus had been demonstrating the heavenly Father’s will every day. There was none of this lame excuse we give, “Lord, if it be thy will, heal me…” She knew. I know, Jesus knows, the devil knows, and yet WE GIVE EXCUSES FOR NOT KNOWING.
How can you know? Read the Bible, simple as that. If you read the Bible, you will know the will of God. When you know His will, you know what He has to say about it. Then it is as simple as doing something about it. If God says DON’T DO THAT, then don’t do it. You don’t pray, Lord, if it’s your will, I won’t do that. Your correct response is OBEDIENCE! Jesus went about healing all the sick who came to Him, and said He did nothing without His Father’s will. In another place He said, “I and My Father are one”. Can it get any clearer than that? So WHY do we insist on giving some lame excuse “Lord, if it be your will, heal me.” Is not His Word enough for you?
Well, we listen to well-intentioned but misinformed people who have not studied God’s Word enough to know what His will is. Remember, it says in 2 Timothy 2:13-16:
2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
2Ti 2:14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Ti 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Oh, how we love profane and vain babblings! We would rather listen to man’s words than God’s. We would rather believe man’s report than God’s. And the proof of that is we struggle trying to fix our own problems instead of taking the time to learn what God tells us to do about them. Study the Bible!! We did not make the first move toward God to seek Him, HE made the first move toward us to help us. He tells us how to be saved from our sins, and He made the way possible, and all we have to do to receive salvation is to do what He said to do. All we have to do to be healed is to follow His directions. He is more willing for us to be saved and healed and blessed than WE are! But we don’t want to do it HIS way, do we? We want it on OUR terms, right? And then we moan and groan and whine and complain because we’re sick, poor, and lost in our sins?
C’mon folks, give me a break! Take God literally at His Word for once, will you? Do what He says and reap the benefits. We want the benefits, right? He is reminding you so you don’t forget! It is written in Psalm 103:2-6,
Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Or maybe you think God just isn’t big enough to actually perform His Word? What’s your excuse today? God is more willing than you are for you to be blessed! Get rid of the excuses and live life to the fullest, saved, healed, wise, blessed and joyful.
Dodie on 03 Apr 2015 at 4:11 pm #
Pastor Jeff this was a great word. But I would like to comment on a few things. Tthere are Christians who do what the word says and healing or whatever is not performed. I don’t believe that all Christians who may not receive their healing is because they have not put in the work. I think of Paul, one of the greatest followers of Christ yet he went before the Lord 3 times for a ‘thorn’ he had (ailment if you will) and He was not healed. In fact, the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficent”. While I know that I am not perfect, I love the Lord and trust His word as truth .You may or may not recall about 2 weeks ago I asked for you to agree with me in prayer for healing of my left ear, where I have some hearing loss, infection, etc.. All of the healing scriptures you have referred to I have been meditating on & claiming. I have gone before elders/pastors in the church as well as seasoned Christians to be prayed for and annointed with oil. I have asked other Christians to agree with me in prayer. Additionally, I have aleays set aside time each day with the Lord to study the word, pray, and just commune with Christ. I attend bible study each week to further study His word, and I attend church each Sunday. The physical problem continues & APPEARS to have gotten worse but I continue to stand on God’s word and graciously accept His healing touch.
Again, thank you for your weekly word.