I WORK
IN THE BEGINNING THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, DECEMBER 26,2011
The impotent man answered him, 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.
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up they 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.
The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
The mand departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
But Jesus answered them , My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
John 5:5-17
In this passage of Scripture, we see Jesus set a captive free. A man that had been impotent for thirty-eight years was made whole. He could finally get up and ...work. The Scripture tells us that he immediately began to work; for he took up his bed and walked. It was this act of work that brought immediate persecution from the Pharisees. They were judging him according to the law, when he had been made free in and by the Holy Spirit. To work, for this man, was a radical act. Still Jesus commanded: Rise, take up they bed, and walk. The season of new life had finally come, after such a long, lonely wait.
When Jesus tells us to rise and get to work, we will agree with him, regardless of the persecution we may face.
Certainly, the enemy of our soul wants us impotent in every way, but Jesus wants us free-- for now and eternity.
Today, let us be freed from every bondage attempting to hold us back, and let us get to work.
