The Grace of the Almighty Volunteer!

This man was at the pool.  For 38 years he had been paralyzed.  This man suffered from a medical illness, longer than some of us have been born.

The man, whom we’ll call Amos, did not have a volunteer to help him get into the water, and he was not the only one at the pool.  There were other disabled people there too, blind, lame and paralyzed people.  From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters.  The first one in the pool after each disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he or she had.

Imagine being at the pool every day and unable to jump in.  Every day people came and went. There was so much bustling and noise.  Each lame person hoped that today would be his or her chance to get into the pool, anticipation hoping to get in the waters before anyone else and anxiety thinking it would never happen.  Just visualize being in that situation.

Amos may not have a family, but even if he had, his family may not have been in a position to take him to the pool every day.  Moreover, there seemed to be no volunteers around to help him. That is, not until the Almighty Volunteer came along and said to Amos.  “Do you want to get well?” Amos replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. As I try to enter, someone goes down ahead of me”.  Then Jesus told him, “GET UP! PICK UP YOUR MAT AND WALK”. At once Amos was healed; he picked up his bed and walked John 5:1-9.

God provides abundantly for us, not only meeting our physical needs but also promising we will not perish when we die but have everlasting life through the sacrifice of Jesus for our past present and future sins. God asks only that we will accept His gift and then fills us with the Holy Spirit.

Sharing the Good News as God’s people is what we do out of joy, we don’t act alone but follow God’s prompting as to who and when to share the Good News.  God convicts others.  We do not. Often God will require us to

develop authentic committed relationships before He opens the door to share.  God will give us the words and the opportunity as we work in unison with Him.

By: Shirley C. Leger August 2024