Devotionals for the Heart: Jesus Heals

A Divine Reversal
A devotional by Sarah Cole

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." 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 5:6-9 (NIV)

I love the movie Groundhog Day. In it, Bill Murray plays a cynical meteorologist sent to cover the annual festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for the fourth year in a row. He hates the small town and cannot wait to leave, but when a blizzard foils his escape plan, he is forced to stay another night and awakens to find he's reliving the same day over and over again.

I experienced my own Groundhog Day six years ago after my mother's death. Being her caregiver consumed all my time and energy, so I looked forward to getting a fresh start in my new home. It was a beautiful September day, and I stood on the toilet seat to clean a ceiling vent, lost my balance, and hit my head on the bathtub. Feeling nothing more than a bump, I put off going to the emergency room until two days later when, suddenly, I was unable to walk.

For the next several months, I suffered from post-concussive vestibular migraines. Once I recovered a year later and could drive again, I was on top of the world when I had another concussion and then another, both in September. Discouraged and hopeless, I didn't see a way out of my perpetual prison, and before I knew it, Satan was having a party at my expense. Thankfully, my pattern wasn't doomed to repeat itself because God answered my prayers and healed me.

When the lame man met Jesus at the pool of Bethesda, he had spent thirty-eight years waiting for a breakthrough. But when his opportunity never came, he probably believed his healing would always be out of reach. Imagine his surprise when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be well, then helped him do the impossible.

When our plans fall through, God's timing disappoints us, and we cannot see how our situations will ever improve, it is easy to think God has forgotten us. Whether we're waiting for a new baby, a better marriage, a promotion, or a clean bill of health, hard seasons cause our faith to take a hit. And it appears on the surface that things will never change.

But God. Everything changes when we experience Him. In His infinite love and wisdom, He always provides, He's always good, and the timing of His answers to our prayers is always perfect.

Are you waiting on God for a breakthrough? Instead of glancing at your circumstances, gaze at your Savior. He is aware of everything you face and the reasons why your life is in a rut. I know it's easy to give in to self-pity and fear, but when you spend time in worship, you will find that your faith will grow. And eventually, you will wake up one day with a fantastic story of how He miraculously intervened on your behalf.

Let's Pray: Father God, we rejoice today, knowing that all things are possible with You. Thank You for the beautiful purposes and plans you have for each of us. When we waver in our faith, help us trust in Your perfect timing as we wait on You with hearts eager to serve you. In Jesus's Name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Sarah Cole’s interest in writing began in grade school when her poem was published in the local paper. As she got older, her mother’s chronic illness inspired her to design a line of greeting cards. Since then, she has written for her college newspaper and two community newspapers where she wrote restaurant reviews and articles for their “Best of” spread. 

Her experience as an administrator in the marketing field gave her the opportunity to write ads for a local business journal.

After a 20-year detour and a three-year season of adversity, God reignited her passion to write. Two divine appointments later, the short story she wrote about her father appeared in the St. Paul Almanac, and a short story about her cocker spaniel Gigi was published in Guideposts (magazine) Mysterious Ways. She believes her adversity was worth the lessons God taught her.

During this year (2022) and the next (2023), Sarah’s devotionals will be published in The Secret Place by Judson Press, as well as David C. Cook’s Devotions and The Quiet Hour. To this day, she smiles, pinches herself and gives God all the glory.

When she’s not writing, Sarah enjoys watching cooking shows, designing cards and mugs, and taking day trips.

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