Introduction.
I believe everyone has already seen a tightrope walker's performance, either on television or at some circus show, the same thing always happens. From near or far, we are always in the same tension, hoping that the show ends soon, and that the tightrope walker gets off the rope quickly, and stays away from danger. The life of someone far from Jesus, without knowing him, without having a commitment to him, is similar to someone performing on a tightrope, being in constant danger by living with the uncertainty of a better tomorrow. Someone in this situation may fall when they least expect it, and when that happens, they will be in a complicated situation. The lack of relationship with Jesus, the only God who can protect, guarantee deliverance in times of danger and peace in the midst of tribulation, can be avoided. And this with a very simple decision. Seeking and knowing him through the Bible, as well as relating to him personally day-to-day, through sanctification, prayers and supplications. Bringing to our lives the instructions contained in his word. We know that God is rich in mercies, and they are the reason we are not consumed. However God has his principles, and he often, even though he may want to, cannot go against his statutes. If we want to be protected by God, it is necessary to have knowledge of who he is, and follow his commandments. We cannot neglect this truth. Only Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, far from him we will be in constant danger.
Ignorance about Jesus caused an unnecessary wait.
The lame man at the pool of Bethesda:
“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, called in Hebrew Bethesda, which has five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’” Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was; for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Jo 5:2-13”.
Not knowing Jesus was the reason for the prolonged suffering of the lame man at the pool's edge.
This man only suffered for such a long time, 38 years in total, due to lack of knowing God before the miracle. This is evident in the verse of Jo 5:13. We see from the narrative that instead of him seeking another way to get out of the situation, such as having a desire to know who was the God performing miracles at the pool. He preferred to keep waiting, and was only reached by God's infinite mercy, when He approached him at the pool, and asked if he wanted to be made well.
In this passage we perceive that there was a complete lack of knowledge of Lord Jesus on his part, by his own argument in Jo 5:7. The lame man still wanted to argue, instead of acting like the blind man of Jericho, who upon hearing that Jesus was passing by where he was, did not stop crying out, until he was reached by this Great God.
Many are those who are only arguing their sufferings, failures, sorrows and disappointments, while so many others are drawing near, sanctifying themselves, desiring and crying out to God for mercy and being helped by him.
Hezekiah by knowing God and relating to Him, was healed hundreds of years before the lame man, due to his prayer.
"In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’” Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.”’” 2 Kings 20:1-6.
It is worth having real knowledge of God.
David's difficult decision:
“And David's heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, “Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the LORD: "I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”’” So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.” And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. And seventy thousand men of the people died from Dan to Beersheba. And when the angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father's house.” 2 Samuel 24:10-17”.
Experiences cause us to make the right decisions, as David did:
This text shows us what it is to have knowledge of truth, because David's experience with God led him to a difficult decision, but a correct one, for although he himself recognized his error, and also knowing how horrible a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God, even so he preferred to fall into the hands of this God, who is rich in mercy, and he was spared. David's personal knowledge in relation to God allowed him to know that God would have mercy on him, and that He would cease His wrath. We need to learn from David, and bring the God of the biblical stories into our lives, and make Him our refuge and fortress.
If it is to wait, let it be in God, for he works in favor of those who hope in him.
We have reasons to have hope:
“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence— As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! When You did terrible things For which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence. For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him. Isaiah 64:1-4”
If we wait in God, let us not worry, for this same God of biblical accounts, at this very moment is working in our favor, and His requirement is very simple, that we be in holiness before Him, all the time, firm and constant.
When we know God, we can help transform the lives of others.
God acting through His servants:
“Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those entering the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, Acts 3:1-9”.
Certainty in whom one has believed:
If Peter did not have knowledge, a real experience with God, he would not have the faith and courage to command the lame man to rise and walk, nor would he cite the name of the God in whom he believed, but having been used in many other miracles, for we know that even his shadow healed, and thus he commanded with faith “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk”.
Peter being an agent of transformation in the lame man's life:
The lame man's life was transformed, having ceased to be a beggar and become able to work for his own sustenance, by Peter's personal knowledge with God, who knew that Our Jesus, God and Lord would not allow His name to be mentioned by a man of faith without performing the expected miracle. Peter's faith was so tremendous that he took responsibility upon himself and said to the lame man: “Look at us” and then said more “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Peter had beyond gold and silver, he had Jesus, the owner of gold and silver, who could perform a miracle in the lame man's life so that he would not need to be ashamed anymore, ridiculed, asking for alms, but instead lived at his own expense.
Knowing God, He will reveal to us tremendous and particular things.
Particular revelation to the apostle Paul:
“It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— that he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 2 Corinthians 12:1-4”.
God has special and particular things to reveal to each of His servants:
In the text above the apostle Paul speaks of a revelation he had, and it was a particular revelation, in which he saw things that he was not permitted to tell us about. When we know God, living the experiences he allows us, this same God takes pleasure in revealing tremendous things to us, and doing glorious things in our lives, and many of them are particular, unique, only for us and no one else.
We see another example, for Jesus had twelve apostles, but only Peter, James and John saw him glorified, and in the same vision they also saw Moses and Elijah, Matthew 17:1-4, obviously the other apostles had life with God, the apostle Stephen even died for the gospel, but it pleased God to choose only these three to grant them this wonderful experience.
Conclusion
Someone once said that it does us no good to have the medicine for a disease we have, if we are not willing to take it, the cure will depend on this action. Jesus is the remedy for any disease, the solution to any problem, however, we need to want him, desire him, know him, relate to him, so that he brings transformation and solution to our lives.
We see from the citations above, that those who did so were surprised by God's action in their lives, with immeasurable blessings.
May Jesus, the only God and Lord bless your life, and may you also be a blessing in the lives of other people.