July 18, 2024 Devo

Negativity and despair have a way of overtaking your life. It’s especially true if you’ve battled something for a long period of time, like an addiction, a weight problem, a toxic relationship, or a self-destructive attitude. There is a “stickiness” to these things that makes it seem like the longer we have them, the more hopeless we become in overcoming them. Finally, we throw in the towel and simply accept that this is how our life is going to be. “I can’t” becomes our life-defining motto. Not “I haven’t.” Not “I haven’t quite found the solution yet.” Not “I haven’t yet but I’m still trying.” “I can’t.” Those words become the stakes we drive in the ground to justify staying where we are.
The man in our story had every right to be discouraged. I mean, after 38 years of being lame, almost all of us would say that we’re probably going to be like that for the rest of our lives. But notice that this man had taken God out of the equation altogether. His response had to do with a superstitious myth that when the spring water bubbled there were magic powers to it. Notice that when Jesus asked, “Would you like to be well?,” the man didn’t say, “Only if God wills.” He said, “I can’t.” And he was right. HE couldn’t. He had just become so filled with despair that he had forgotten about the God who could.
Does that fit for YOU? Have you heard, “I can’t” come out of your mouth lately? No, you can’t break that addiction. But God can. No, you don’t have the strength to put boundaries in that toxic relationship, but God can. No, maybe you don’t have the power to change your ways, change your attitude, or change yourself, but God can. Today, let’s replace your despair with hope. Today, let go of what you CAN’T do and begin to believe again what God CAN do! That’s God’s Word for you today.