Live Like I Want It

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?" John 5:6 (NASB) This passage was actually Angela's devotional for the day. John 5:2-17 tells the story of a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. He had been perched by the Pool of Bethesda hoping for healing, but could not get into the waters on his own when they were stirred. So, Jesus asked what seemed to be an obvious question, "Do you wish to get well." I remember as a child watching the cartoon Flying House which put many New Testament Bible stories into cartoon form. In this particular story, this man was grumpy, irritable, and anti-social. Yes, he wanted to get well, but he'd used his illness to push everyone away and had decided that he would always be sick. I don't know if that's what this man was truly like, but reading this verse this morning brought that image back up again. So often we claim to want something - we want to grow spiritually; we want to change a behavior; we want to increase in discipline; we want to see God move in a situation; we want Him to answer a long-time prayer; we want to see our hearts' desires fulfilled. But the truth is that we don't live like we want these things. Sometimes the Lord has to ask me, "Do you want this?" My quick response is, "Well of course I do, Lord! I've been asking and waiting for it, haven't I?" But, then as I process through it mentally, I realize I haven't truly been preparing for Him to work and move in my life. If I truly want His hand in my life, I need to live like it!