“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”_ John 5:8-9.

“Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live. The man took Jesus AT HIS WORD and departed. While he was still on his way his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he enquired as to the time when his son got better they said to him, ‘The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.’ Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live’. So he and all his household believed.” _ John 4:50-53.

The first scripture describes a man who had been invalid for 38 years. John 5:1-7 gives details of the account of the story. When Jesus came to the scene, he told the man, “Get Up!” ‘For God’s sake, if I could get up, I wouldn’t have been in this situation for the past 38 years. What are you talking about Jesus?’ This may have been the thought of the man, however, he took Jesus at his word and got up; The man may have thought, “At least, here is someone who wants to help me. Maybe, he will help me get closer to the pool, so that when the angel comes to stir the water up, I will be the first to fall into it and get my healing.”

Jesus didn’t only say Get up, he was very specific. He added, “Pick up your mat and walk.”

Would you be surprised if I told you the invalid man didn’t even know Jesus yet? John5:12-13_ “So they asked him, ‘Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?’ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.”

This man had great faith. He took Jesus as his word. Whatever Jesus said or told him to do beats logic: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” If the man did have a little of this ability, wouldn’t he at least have been closer to the pool for his own benefit? Faith implies, even if your mind can’t comprehend, you still believe because it is coming from the mouth of God through Jesus.

Let’s look at our second scripture: This scripture is about an officer whose son was dying. He heard of Jesus and decided to go beg him to come heal his son. Jesus didn’t go with him but gave him a word, ‘You may go. Your son will live.’ “For Christ’s sake, if I knew my son will be healed, would I have walked all the way to meet you Jesus? It was because I saw no hope that is why I came to you. And here you are giving me another hopeless talk?” This is what a proud heart could have complained about. But let’s see what the man did: “The man took Jesus AT HIS WORD and departed.”_ John 4:50. Both Jesus’ command and the man’s obedience happened in one verse, verse 50. Meaning, the man’s obedience was immediate.

What word of God have you taken?

What has Jesus said that you have not tried to reason it out with your mind?

Do you really believe in God? Then why are you reasoning his Word out with your mind?

He says, “WORRY NOT”, and you say, “Jesus you don’t understand.”

He says, “By His stripes you were healed”, and you say, “The doctor says there is no hope.” Whose testimony do you believe? Jesus’ or man’s? Remember God created man, so man cannot be wiser than God no matter his level of intelligence. The doctor may say there is no hope. He says this because that is the extent to where his medical expertise gets to. Remember there used to be a time where there was no cure for polio or tuberculosis, and people used to die like flies. Is that happening today? So why trust someone whose knowledge is time bound, when you can trust the one who gives the knowledge? I know it can be hard especially when you are supposed to believe before you could see; “We live by faith, not by sight.” But trust God. Choose to. Decide to. It is possible. He is faithful. He will never fail.

Tell me; what excitement will He get from seeing you sad? Nothing! He says in His Word, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as they soul prosperth.”_ 3 John 1:2.

In Jeremiah 29:11, He says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I know it may be hard for you to sometimes take God at his word, looking at the boisterous winds blowing at you. But please try and take Jesus at His word. Decide that, “If it is God who has said it, then so be it.” Whatever your mind may try to reason, that is not the truth. The truth is what God says, and that is what you should take, accept and BELIEVE.

Amen.

“I tell you the truth anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” _ John 14:12-14.