HSD: Pick Up Your Faith and Walk

Come here. Take a walk with me.

I’m so glad you’re here. Jumping right into the Word this morning.

John Chapter 5:5-9 reads,

“5 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, 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.”

The Holy Spirit reminded me of a word He gave me maybe a week ago, left tucked in the drafts of my mind…and, of course, my phone notes.

We need to discern more carefully when God is ready to move on, and we must also release our commitment to carrying faith in the wrong place.

Let’s dissect.

The impotent man by the pool of Bethesda waited 38 years to step into his healing because he was believing in something else to change his condition.

We just learned in the last post (See Your Activity Must Change for more) that anything or anyone the active voice of the Lord speaks to must change their activity.

The Word says Jesus presented a choice before the man: are you ready to move on or not?

The man responds by telling Jesus what he thinks will help his situation, not recognizing the actual answer was standing right in front of him.

He hadn’t yet perceived that it was time to move on.

Let’s pivot for a minute with a few examples:

When God was ready to change leadership, He asked Samuel, “how long will you mourn whom I’ve rejected?” God was ready to move on (1 Sam. 16:1)

When God was ready for the Israelites to enter the promise, He said, “You have dwelled long enough at this mountain.” God was ready to move on. (Deut 1:6).

When the disciples could not cure the epileptic boy, Jesus asked, “How long shall I suffer you? Bring him here to Me.” God was ready to move on. (Matt 17:17 and Mark 9:19)

When the Israelites stood crying out before the Red Sea, God asked, “Why do you cry out to me?” (Ex 14:15) God was ready to move on.

And as Jesus tended to the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, He asked, “do you want to be made whole?” God was ready to move on.

Let’s get to the meat of what the Lord is saying this morning.

We must be careful where we are placing our faith, because placing it in the wrong place will hinder our ability to move forward when God is ready to move on.

His paying that bill won’t change your condition.

You keeping that house won't change your condition.

A new job won’t change your condition.

His changing things in your partner won’t change your condition.

More money, more justice, more help…anything you are believing in more than He who affords all of these gifts won’t change your condition. These are merely symptoms.

If issues in these areas have presented themselves, you asking God to fix them one by one is not what you really need.

The man by the pool of Bethesda thought he needed someone to lift him and bring him to the freshly stirred water.

That would not have changed his situation. He was lame in body because he was bereft of faith in God.

You need to be made whole. You need to stop entertaining brokenness stemming from your current condition.

You keep asking God to help manage your symptoms when our transformative God is only in the business of curing the root of your problems.

God is ready for us to move on, standing firmly in the deliverance already promised to us. He is ready for us to stop skirting that mountain and place faith in He who delivers.

Like Moses and the Israelites, He is ready for us to march beyond that parted sea and place faith in Him who carries us.

Like the original disciples, He is ready for us to speak to that ailment or sickness and place faith in He who has given us authority to cast out.

Like with Samuel, He is ready for us to stop clinging to and mourning what we believe we’ll miss or who we think we need and place faith in He who justly appoints.

Pick up your faith and WALK.

Pick up your faith and let’s move on.

God is more eager for you to reach the promise than you are; you just have to stop idolizing what you believe is your breakthrough.

Stop ruminating on when the money will come.

When the justice will come.

When the dreams will stop.

And trust in His faithful character development process.

John 5:14 then reads,

“Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee.”

Understand this: the more you stay in agreement with what God has already told you He has handled, with all the trouble He says he will and has delivered you from (Psalm 91:15), the worse your condition will become.

Surrender it all and keep moving forward with whatever He has chosen you to do.

Arise, let us move on from here. (John 14:31)

All is already well concerning you.

Take this back to God and receive if so led.

And remember, in everything you do in Jesus’ name…

Be sure to lead with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank you for this Word. Please let every eye that is meant to read this also receive the call-to-action you have commanded today. Strengthen the faith of these readers and help them to place all trust in You. I give You all the praise and the glory. In the name of Jesus, to the Glory of the Father, I thank You. Amen.