John 5:6 - When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for long time, He asked him, "Would you like to get well?"
When Jesus asks the sick man this question it almost seems like a silly question to ask - on the surface. After all, the man had been sick for 38 years. Who wouldn't want to get well?!
The more I think about this passage, I realize Jesus isn't just asking him the obvious. He's really asking him if he still wants to rely on his or other human efforts to do so, or if he actually wants to get better. The man's response in verse 7 was the right answer. He realizes that he can't be healed by human efforts.
One of the biggest questions I used to ask myself a lot when I first started to come into a relationship with God was whether or not it was worth it. I mean, why do I need Him? Is He really going to heal me of my issues that have kept me separated from Him? The answer was only if I wanted Him to. I had to choose to accept Him as my Savior. And allow Him to be the Lord over my life. Then He would heal me. Or would He?
Paul and Jesus had something in common. They both had issues that they took to God in prayer three times that He refused to take away from them so that He would be glorified through their pain and suffering. Jesus asked God to take away the cup of suffering if it was His will (Mark 14:36). Paul had his thorn in the flesh that He begged the Lord to take away from him three times (2 Corinthians 12:7-8). We know why God didn't remove the cup of suffering from Jesus. And God told Paul that he wouldn't remove the thorn so that He could be glorified more in Paul's weakness.
So the question remains, Is it all worth it? Paul tells us in Romans 8:18, "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later." In other words, no matter how bad what we are going through may seem now, it is nothing compared to how great everything will be when we enter eternity in Heaven with God. It may seem like our lives are ending because the suffering won't, but until God calls us home, they aren't. The more we suffer, the more we need to remember to give God the glory for His promise of deliverance from the pain.
We are all familiar with Paul's reminder that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). The beauty is that we have all been chosen by God to be His children. We just have to accept His calling.
The answer to the question of whether it is worth it, is found in Romans 8:30. Paul tells us, "And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory." The beauty of this verse, is how it builds up and gets better and better. He chose us. He called us to Him, He gives us right standing with Him. And finally, He give us His glory. How amazingly awesome (I'm out of superlatives here...) is it that God wants to give us His glory?!
Jesus told us that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22). He is the One who makes it all worth it. He didn't say that He would do it the minute we say yes to Him, but He did say that He would do it.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for freeing me of the bondage to my sin. I am eternally grateful that when You asked if I wanted to be healed and get well I said yes. Even though it took me longer than it should, You waited because of Your amazing grace and mercy and love. I pray for those that don't believe that serving You and Your Kingdom and Your children is worth the time and effort. My prayer is that they will see that they cannot overcome by their own strength and that they will turn to You, the One who can heal them. I pray they will realize that You will give them Your glory when they respond to Your calling. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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