July 16, 2024 Devo

I want to take one more look at this moment in our story. This time from the view of those in the crowd who were watching on. Have you ever had an experience where you were “not picked”? You didn’t get asked to be on the team. You got excluded when they were inviting people to join a club. You got passed over for a job. Someone that you really wanted to date didn’t want to date you. Getting excluded hurts. Even when it comes to God.
How do you think this crowd responded to the man being healed? My guess is, at least for many of them, they weren’t all that excited for the guy. These are people who were competing with each other for food or loose change every time someone came through their area where they were all laying. Some of them probably even worked on their routine to try and gain the attention or sympathy of those passing by. There’s only so much help to go around. It hurts when you’re not the one receiving anything.
That might be how some of us are feeling today. Maybe you have a need that God hasn’t met yet. Maybe you have a prayer that you’ve been praying day after day and year after year, and it still doesn’t seem as if He’s heard you. Maybe you feel like one of those in the crowd who are watching someone get their miracle, and you’re asking when you’re going to get yours. And that’s a fair question.
I can’t speak for God and all of His Divine reasoning, but let me offer you a few thoughts and encouragements. One, don’t lose hope. The man who was healed had been ill for thirty-eight years. His healing was a long time coming but it came. Perhaps yours will come, too. Two, work on cultivating a heart that’s grateful for the grace and works of God, even when they happen for someone else. Don’t allow your need to be compounded by self-pity. Gratitude is a much healthier and holier focus than resentment or envy. Three, hold onto faith. This much I can tell you, your need will be met. You will be healed, and you will be made whole. God has promised it. And for those of us for whom it doesn’t happen in this life, it happens in the next. Our promise is not one of being pain-free while living on this fallen planet. Our promise is that one day we will pass to a life where there is no more cancer, no more heart problems, no more suffering, and no more tears. So, take heart. You’re not forgotten or forsaken. Your healing is on its way. It’s just not your turn yet. That’s God’s Word for you today.