“Crowds of sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed – lay on the porches. 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?’ ‘I can’t, sir,’ the sick man said.” (John 5:3-7a NLT)
We’re all waiting for something. What is it for you? A job? A new job? A relationship? A new relationship? To be healed? To find hope? To stop being afraid? To start a new life? To have your prayers answered? For someone you love to be healed, saved, or delivered from a negative circumstance? The list is long, but the Lord has given me insight into something I pray will be helpful.
Recently, I had a car to sell. I let my son know and he immediately said, “I have an employee who will want your car.” Problem solved! NOT! She had just bought a car! No problem, she had a friend who needed a car, who came to look at my car, loved it and wanted to buy it. Just one problem, my car was front wheel drive, and she needed a 4-wheel drive. No problem, she knew someone, who also didn’t work out.
What I thought was going to take minutes turned into days, then into weeks. But why? My car was in perfect condition at a reasonable price. So, I decided to run an ad that got more than 250 views, but the only ones who responded were dealers who wanted it for nothing or scammers. Sad story, right?
Long story short(er), I put a sign on the window and within a few days I got a call from someone who bought the car for the asking price. Why? Because they were the person of God’s choosing. How do I know that? Because the sale of the car has led to a friendship and an opportunity for me to influence someone for the Lord I’d never had if I’d sold it through the original “hand’s-free” way. Here’s what the Lord said to me as I met this new person who was interested in my car: “It’s never been about the car; it’s always been about the person.”
What’s our takeaway? Let’s go back to the beginning – for what are you waiting? Whatever it is, it’s not about you or what you think you’re waiting for, it’s about your walk with the Lord and how He’s engineering circumstances in your life to help you see Him more clearly. HE’s the Author of whatever it is you need and no matter how hard you work to make it happen, He’ll just keep pushing it further away until you finally come to your senses and say: “Okay, Father, how would you be pleased for me to go about this … job hunt, dating relationship, healing, hope, fear, or whatever it is?”
The man in the story in the opening Scripture had been waiting for nearly forty years for something that would have never happened had he not met Jesus. And the saddest part of that story to me is that even after Jesus healed him, he still didn’t understand who he’d met! How like so many of us who find the answer to what we’re seeking in Jesus, only to be disappointed, dismayed, or feel disregarded.
“I thought it would be different! I thought it’d be easier somehow.” We find answers, but answers aren’t the issue. The Lord provides a new job, but we still don’t like it. Or a new relationship, but we find ourselves in the same rut. Or our friend is finally saved, but they’re just not taking off in their faith like we’d hoped. But why? Why? Why? Because “IT” or “THEY” were never the issue – Jesus IS! He’s ALWAYS THE ISSUE! Every circumstance in our life is designed to allow and enable us to see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly, and walk with Him more nearly.
Waiting is never about an answer; it’s about an opportunity to grow in our life in the Lord. Stop seeking an answer and invest your time in seeking the Answerer!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 