Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” (John 5:8 NAS95)
Not to long ago Jesus’ words to the lame man at the pool near the Sheep gate sent shock waves into my soul. “Pick up your pallet and walk.” The words refused to depart from my thoughts and they hung around as if to say something specific. The man had sat there for 38 years. Life was swirling by him as he lay there. So Jesus’ words of healing took on deeper meaning for me (and quite possibly for the lame man). Passivity has no part in God’s plans. The words of Jesus, while they resulted in physical healing, invited the man to the fullness life had to offer - what God always desires to give. The words watered the lame man’s soul. God was saying you have dignity, worth, purpose, fulfill the vision for which I created you. Enter life, life to the full.
Jesus words spoke to me as well. I wondered, am I hearing His invitation to life? Am I resting in the love with which He speaks these words? Do I live life expecting God’s goodness and presence? What keeps me on the pallet? What distracts my heart from embracing God’s love and desires for me? What pulls my interior away from attending to God? From hearing Him? Pick up your pallet and walk! Let My desires, love, nurture and communion fill your soul and potential. Believe Me. Enter life - life full of communion with Me. It’s been a few weeks and these words still speak to me. God desires a lot more for me than I expect. What about you?
For Reflection:
“For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” (Psalms 36:9 NAS95)
- How do you respond to God desiring you to experience all the fullness life has to offer? What does fullness of life mean to you?
- What distracts your heart from the fullness God desires for you?
