Take up thy bed

I saw something in the news recently here in South Africa. The first bit of good news to be reported in a while, a father took to the media to express his joy after his child received a new heart after 7 years of waiting for a donor. This got me thinking. How many months or years would it take to convince you and I that our situation is there to stay? That your poverty, sickness, failure, symptoms, how many divorces? How many miscarriages? How many relapses? How many disappointments? How many of these do we have to go through to know that our situation is hopeless?

The young child in the news waited 7 years after diagnosis. That seems like a lot right? Well I know someone else who waited even longer. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made 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.” John 5:5-7

Can you imagine being sick for 38 years? I haven’t even been alive that long... can you imagine being stuck in a situation for 38 years, be it an abusive marriage, barrenness, poverty, singleness, lack of career progression, any situation really. For some of us, 3 years is enough to throw in the towel... but a certain man held on for 38 years, a young South African boy held on for 7 years...

Your situation doesn't require the assistance of another to help you into the healing pool of Bethesda, for there is not where your healing resides, No, your healing is in Christ. The solution to your long term suffering lies in Christ. Where all doctors have failed to push you into the pool, where your qualifications have failed to push you into the pool, where your great qualities and fertility tests have failed to push you into the pool, I'm here to tell you that Christ has visited you and your situation personally.

Heart donation is quite tricky, unlike a kidney that can be donated and both the donor and recipient remain alive, the heart donor needs to die for the recipient to live. The spokesperson for the Organ donor foundation "said it was quite challenging to find a donated heart that was a match in size, tissue and blood type". I'm here to tell you that the same God who created the heaven and the earth, who designed every organ in your body sent his only begotten Son to die for you and I that we may receive new hearts.

My Peace I give you - Shalom