1.5.2023 Devotion

The devotional is titled "Would You Like to Get Well?" and is based on John 5:5-6. It discusses how Jesus encountered a man who had been sick for a long time and asked him if he wanted to be healed. Jesus knew that being healed would bring significant changes to the man's life, and he wanted to ensure that the man was truly ready for it. The devotional then poses similar questions to the readers, asking if they are willing to make the necessary changes to improve their lives and how they will handle resistance from others. It emphasizes the importance of being prepared for the challenges that come with change. This is today's devotion for Thursday, January 5th, 2023. Today's devotion is titled, Would You Like to Get Well? And the scripture today comes from the book of John, chapter 5, verses 5 through 6. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, Would you like to get well? It sounded like a no-brainer. Of course this sick man wanted to get well. Or did he? Jesus knew that being healed would change the man's life forever. Begging at the pool was all he knew. All his friends were there. If he was healed, he'd have to leave them and find a new way to support them. He'd have to learn to care for himself instead of relying on others. In light of all these potential changes, no wonder Jesus asked the man if he really wanted to be healed. Jesus asked us a similar question. Do we really want to take our lives back? Our relationships will shift, and some people in our lives will resist us. We'll have to develop new habits and find a better balance between caring for others and caring for ourselves. A lot will change, and change is almost always difficult, even when the outcome is good. It's not an idle question. Do you want to get well? Be careful how you answer. Ask yourself this, question one, are you willing to do the work that will be required of you to take your life back? What part do you think will be the hardest? And the second question, who in your life do you think will be the most resistant to your changing, and how will you handle that person? Ask God, Jesus, I do want to get well, but I know that changing isn't easy. Please give me the strength to meet resistance with grace and to persevere. Thank you.