The man at the Pool

Hello guys,

Time flies, and in about 10 plus days I will finally be back home. Have not been updating any thoughts recently because I have just been stuck at one. I cannot go anywhere other than this one thought, about the man at the Pool. One thing I have learnt is to let His word Brew inside of you, till the point you can literally taste it and experience it and truly understand the essence of it. This is the amazing power of His word. It brings life. The more you read, the more it gets to you. The more you read, the more it taste sweeter and the more the essence (the best part) starts to reveal itself. I never thought I could have learnt from a man at the pool, but obviously, He has proven me wrong. We can learn from anything in the Bible. We just need to sit and listen and be still, and not be too busy with our lives…

John 5 speaks about the Healing at the Pool of Bethesda. And in this story, there is a protagonist. Other than Jesus, it will be the Paralyzed man.

This passage showed me the healing powers of Jesus, but other than this, it showed me something that will stick with me through eternity. I always know that Jesus can heal, and He does all the time. But I never knew, the man at the pool could have thought me one of life’s most important virtues and how Daddy honored him in the end, for this virtue.

The virtue of Patience…

There are so much more “essences” in John 5 that I have yet to share with all of you, but I shall do it a little at a time if you all allow me to. For now, it is the virtue of Patience. The King James Version of John 5:1-7 reads:

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 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. And a certain man was there, which had infirmity thirty and eight years. 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? 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.”
Many times we read too quickly that we fail to see many hidden meanings in the Bible. “And a certain man was there, who had infirmity thirty and eight years.”

The man, had been by the pool, for 38 years! And look on to what he said later…
“…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.”
This man has been at the pool for 38 years. From time to time, an angel will come to stir up the water and THE FIRST PERSON into the pool after each of such troubling of the water, will be completely healed. This man has been present by the pool for 38 years. He knows that if he could just get into the pool, if he could just be that first one, he will get healed. This man believes he will get healed. All he needs is to be the first person into the pool. For 38 years, this man have been trying. How do I know? Because of his reply to Jesus. “While I am coming, another stepped down before me.”

This man have been trying for 38 years! With one goal. To be the first person into the Pool of Bethesda, because he knows he will get healed. The best part comes when Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to get well?”

Jesus loves to ask Stupid questions. That is the most amazing part of Him. Cause to us it is stupid. If He asked me, I would be like “DUH! I am here for 38 years!! What do you think!!” HAHA… But in Heaven’s perspective, this question holds deeper meaning. That is another sharing hopefully in another time. But right now let us see what is the man’s reply.

“…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.”

That’s the reply to Jesus’ question. It is not a Yes or a No. The man did not even show that he knew Jesus could heal him. He did not even realize that he is talking to the Healer Himself, the One that does not need any water to heal him. All He needs is just to speak out, and the man will be healed. The man did not ask Jesus to heal him; he did not reply that he wants to get healed. All he said was, if only he is the first one to get into the pool, he will be healed.

This man is SO DETERMINED. He blew me away. He has been failing for 38 years!! And he still did not give up. He still takes a tiny step at a time and each time being beaten by someone who went ahead of him. He tried, and tried, and tried each time he failed. And finally, he got his reward that is better than his initial humanly conceived reward. He wanted to get into the water to get healed. In the end, Jesus spoke, and he got healed.

If I was the man, I wonder how would I have reacted. If I have placed my unanswered prayers, my discouragements, in comparison with what this man by the pool has experienced, I wonder if it will even qualify for a comparison.

God uses the simplest people to teach us the most extraordinary virtues.

I know many people who have been discouraged, whose lives suck to the core. I know of people who have not seen any breakthrough in their lives for ages, for years. I know of people who are going to give up anytime soon. I know of the times I wish to give up, I know of the times when I am here and the loneliness was so tough but yet, I know of people who suffers infinite times more than many of us.

DO NOT GIVE UP. Learn from the man at the pool. 38 YEARS! And he gave up.

God honors those that persevere. May all of us learn from this man, whose quality of patience is truly admirable.

“Father, I pray for my beloved cell members including myself and also anyone reading the blog. Lord, I ask for the virtue of patience to be deeply implanted in our hearts. I ask for the “Never Give Up” spirit to be placed in us in Jesus name. I pray against the evil one who seeks to discourage us and I ask that Lord, no matter how the going gets tough, I believe that the tough will get going, when we look to You. Lord I commit every person into Your hands. Continue to shower them with Your love and Lord, I pray, that everyone will seek greater intimacy with You everyday, and never be satisfied with the level of intimacy they are having with you right now, but to ask for more everyday. More of You God, more and more and more…

In Jesus name I pray, AMEN!

Love you guys.

Chris