Help For Gods Hurting People

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When 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?"

 7"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."

 8Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

      The day on which this took place was a Sabbath John 5:5-9

Yesterday I wrote in "Coffee With Cat" about the fact that when I was so desperately ill, I had no one to help me. I stayed in self-pity regarding that for the first six months I was ill. Then God spoke to my heart, "All you need is me." I started depending on the scripture that reads; "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

The scriptures above illustrate perfectly that it's normal to blame others for our conditions, and why we stay stuck in them.

The invalid had a lot of reasons for not just getting up himself.  He had no one to help him, and then when some one did, someone went on ahead of him.

Jesus was having none of his excuses. He said to him, "Get up, pick up your mat and walk." As the man made the effort Jesus met him, right where he was on a Sabbath, and instantly healed him.

We sit and we live in self-pity. We wonder why this person who could help and that person who could help doesn't. I know, because I have been there myself.

The truth of the matter is all we need is God. The fact is that if we depend on anyone or anything more then we depend on God, then we simply are depending on"idols."

At one point in my life, actually several times because total surrender is a process, God began to slowly take anyone and everyone out of my life that I depended on. Why? He wanted me to totally depend on Him and Him alone.

He will do that with finances also. He may get you to the point where you have no money, and no one to help you with money, until you start to depend on Him, and Him alone, for your daily manna.

It is only when we prove to God that we are willing to totally surrender our need for any other help, that He sends us "other" help.

We read in the book of Exodus how, when entering the "Promised Land" the Israelites started murmuring and complaining to God about wanting "quail." They still weren't satisfied. So then God began to give them "manna" for one day at a time, with the exception of Sabbath morning, when they were given two loaves.

Why was that? Because God wanted them to depend on Him for their daily bread substance.

In all things, for our money, our shelter, and our health, we are to demonstrate to God that it is Him we depend on and not ourselves or others.

The other side of this proverbial coin is that we are to help other Christians whenever we can. To turn a back to a brother in need, when we have a way to help, is judged harshly by God. We are to be God's hands in a hurting world.

In 1 Timothy 5:8 we read the following;

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

God does not look on claiming to know God and not helping our brothers and sisters in Christ kindly. 

So today, if we are in self-pity, lets throw that off, and remember that God is all we truly need. Nothing is impossible with God. When we get that deep down in our spirit we can be helped. We let God help us to do what we cannot do for ourselves. We listen to what He told the invalid. We get up and we move forward one step at a time, one day at a time.

We become aware of the needs around us. We remember the sick, the poor, those who need encouragement and we take our eyes off of our little problems, and ourselves, and do as we are told to do. We help them!

Father, If only we could live the way you told us to live, this world would be a much better place. Help us today to live in love, to walk in love, and to depend on You. Help us to remember today "When God is all we have, God is all we need." In Your Name, the Name above all names we pray. Amen and Amen