Thirty-Eight Years Is a Long Time!

From John 5:5-11

In John 5, we find the story of the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda. I was touched by a few thoughts that I jotted down in the margin of my Bible, and I would like to take a moment to share them.

The man had been sick for a long time.

In verse 5, we learn how long this man had been ill. The Bible does not tell us his name, only that he had been ill for thirty-eight years! I think this is important. God did not want us to remember the man’s name; He wanted us to remember how long he had been sick.

I cannot imagine being sick for that amount of time. I have never endured any difficult time, physical or emotional, for more than a year. The longest I remember being sick was when I was sick for nearly a week when I contracted bronchitis with a high fever. Whatever most of us have gone through, although it may have felt like a long time, it has never lasted thirty-eight years.

Imagine lying beside this healing pool for thirty-eight years with no way to move into the water to be made whole! That is a LONG time to go through any difficult situation and not see a way out! Many of us know people who have been ill for a very long time. We pray for them and desire for them to be well, but we are limited in what we can do for them apart from that. We ourselves may be sick or injured for an extended length of time. No matter how often we pray about the situation, it may seem as if healing will never come. I think this man probably began to feel this way after so many years, and no doubt he asked why he just was not being healed.

Jesus saw him; He knew all about this man.

In verse 6, we are reminded of God’s presence in EVERY situation. The verse begins, When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case,… We may not see a way out of our circumstances, and we may get weary of going through the same thing day after day. We may not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but God sees it. He knows all about it, and He will make a way.

We should never doubt that God is listening to us. He says in Psalm 145:14, The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. Verses 18-19 continue, The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth…he also will hear their cry, and will save them. These are great verses to meditate on and trust in when we are enduring a difficult trial. God IS right there with us, and He cares for and hears us. He will lift us up in His time.

We do not need man to make things right. Instead, we need to depend on Jesus.

In verse 7, we see that this man was discouraged not only because he was ill but also because, every single time the waters were stirred, he had no one to help him get into the water! Sometimes, we get so discouraged with our own illnesses or circumstances because nothing ever seems to change.

In our discouragement, we often reach out to men to try to fix things for us; we attempt to repair the problems on our own. Do not misunderstand me here. I believe we should ask for help from other believers when it is appropriate, but we should not rely totally on their help. Ultimately, we need to reach out and draw closer to God during these times. Men can only do so much for us when we are suffering, and usually, their help is only temporary. God can do so much more for us! He can give us grace, peace, and joy, even in the midst of the storm we are weathering, whether physical or emotional. The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 31:13, …for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

We need to heed His voice immediately.

Take a look at verses 8-9. The Bible says, Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. For decades, this man sat beside this pool waiting anxiously and wanting someone to help him get into the water, but no one did. They were all too busy tending to their own problems. Then, suddenly, Jesus asked him, …Wilt thou be made whole?

I can imagine the man’s reaction. He may have thought, “Of course, Man, but can’t You see? I can’t move!” However, he was not sarcastic in his answer. He simply said, …Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. (Verse 7)

Jesus would not accept that answer! He did not even bother with the pool! He told the man, …Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. The man did not hesitate or even doubt if he could! He immediately got up and walked! He acted on what Jesus had told him to do.

When God shows us a solution, we need to heed His voice immediately! We need to follow His instructions, even if we do not think it is going to turn out well! This man could have easily just stayed where he was and ignored Jesus’ command, but he did not. He believed and obeyed! What good is our faith if we do not listen to the Lord and then do what He tells us to do?

Lastly, we need to give credit to Whom it is due.

In verses 10-15, this man wasted no time in telling everyone just WHO had healed him and HOW he had been healed! At first, he did not know Who had healed him, but when he met Jesus later in the passage, he realized Who He was and immediately went back to the Jews and told them that it was JESUS Who had healed him.

When God gets us out of a sticky situation, we need to remember to give Him the credit. So many times in life, we pray fervently and even ask others to pray along with us for God’s intervention in this or that situation. Sometimes it takes such a long time for Him to answer that we forget to give Him the glory when He finally does answer.

There are so many lessons to be learned in this passage of Scripture. I have only mentioned a few, but I encourage you not to give up hope! Whatever is going on in your life, whether it be an illness that seems to never get better or a situation from which you just do not see a way of escape, remember: God knows all about it! He sees and will answer as He sees fit. He will act in His perfect time and according to His will. Have faith and trust Him while waiting. Good things come to those who wait on the Lord. Then, when He answers, give Him the glory regardless of how He answers!

by April Hernandez