“Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or paralyzed. Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, said to him, “Do you want to get well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.” (John 5:2-9 NASB)
In the familiar story above, Jesus gives the paralytic a three-fold command, “Get up, pick up your bed and walk.” Let us express this in a way that you can hear the Lord speaking to you in this Monday Short meditation. Let’s make this applicable to you,
This morning, get up and do what you thought you could never do. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Get up and overcome what you thought you would never overcome, perhaps a challenge, perhaps a criticism, perhaps a circumstance you have to get through. Get up with a new day, new attitude, and even though Sunday has past, it is the Lord’s day for everything you will do will be for Christ’s sake! Leave the past behind you, get up and rise up to a place of victory. You are an overcomer! Get up, realizing your destiny and your deliverance, and face your new walk; walking in the newness of life, and walking in a new direction in an upbeat way!
After getting up, pick up, discard that old stuff that was holding you down and push it out of your mind. Pick up that which should be a part of your testimony of what the Lord did for you. After all, it was not that long ago you said, “He changed me. He made a difference in me!” Pick up your response, make it an obedience to the Lord response, just as the man in the text above. You may not be what you shall be, not yet, but you are certainly better today on your sanctification journey, and you are not what you used to be! I hope that it your mindset!
One more thing, walk where the Lord wants you to go. The healed man above was told to go home, and he followed Jesus instructions. Note: When you go home and walk in the Lord, your home will be blessed! You do the same! Follow Jesus’ instructions. “Let your light shine…” Walk to the spiritual heights that the Lord wants you to go, so that you can carry out your disciple assignment. What is that assignment, exactly? See the closing verses for the answer. Have a marvelous Monday! Be blessed!
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 The Amplified Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King