In John chapter 5, Jesus came upon a man who had suffered from a condition of infirmity for a very long time.

The first thing Jesus did was to ask him if he really wanted to be made well. That may seem like an odd question.

One would think the person who had suffered and struggled for 38 years with the same condition, would be eager to receive their healing.

Yet, Jesus was aware that there was something hindering this man, and so the question that he asked was to address that situation, so that the man would have to confront the issue in his own heart. – an issue that stood between him and his healing.

Keep in mind, it was Jesus himself standing before him and the man wavered.

How many times do people hesitate when they can’t discern that the person standing in front of them is actually coming to them as Jesus?

There are times when people are presented with the option… And the question… Are you ready to receive your healing?

When Jesus puts his finger on an issue in your life it can be very uncomfortable. It can stir up a lot of emotion.

It can make a person want to turn their heart away from the issue and make excuses as to why they feel justified about certain things. They vacillate about making a decision in faith to say yes.

Many years ago, I stood before a woman asking her if she was ready to receive her healing. I asked the same question Jesus asked that man.

To my surprise, the woman adamantly said no!

Whether it was the stubbornness in her own heart or perhaps she just didn’t like me, nevertheless, she had an opportunity to receive from the LORD.

She rejected the Holy Spirit and from that time on, her heart became hardened in her own sin.

Disobedience caused her to become spiritually blind to her own need for repentance. The situation that day could have gone either direction, but she made excuses instead of submitting herself to the LORD.

Sometimes people don’t like the way Jesus shows up. They may not want the healing that is available to them, because they don’t appreciate or value the Holy Spirit working within the vessel standing before them.

People would rather God used someone of their choosing, at the time when it was convenient or desirable to them, rather than Him showing up at an unexpected time and perhaps working through someone they find hard to receive.

And so they reject the opportunity for salvation, healing, deliverance and ultimately, their own restoration.

If a person is stubborn and resistant to how God wants to work with them, it will produce spiritual blindness that can’t see Jesus when he’s standing right in front of them.

There was a man by the name of Naaman in the Bible who was so proud he felt resistant to the way God chose to present his opportunity for healing.

He argued about the method, until a little servant girl reminded him that what God asked of him wasn’t something he couldn’t do, but it did require humility on his part.

Pride will cause your blessing of restoration to slip out of your hands, but humility will draw it near.

Don’t waste the time you have by simply making excuses.

Why put off your ability to receive from God when it is available to you now?

Perhaps today the question He is asking you is, “What do you need to let go of, in order to be made whole?”

What step of Faith do you need to take to rightly align yourself, so that you can receive from God?

May you have eyes to see and ears to hear with the Spirit of the LORD is saying to you.

 

~ Laura Gagnon

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Laura Gagnon is a woman who has been blessed with the gift of understanding God’s restorative work through her own personal experience. Through her insights and revelation, God has led her to influence many individuals into a restored relationship with Jesus Christ. She is a woman who stands on the promises of God, encouraging others in an elevated expectation of the miraculous and declares the gift of His life. Laura is the author of Healing the Heart of a Woman and writes for her blog, Beyond the Barriers.

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