March 6 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

In March we read the gospel of John. John wrote his gospel so that his readers would know and believe the claims of Jesus. Those who do have everlasting life here and now.

Bible Reading:

John 5:1–9

Bible Text:

Jesus ... asked him, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6).

Devotional:

Bethesda was a kind of hospital. It had a pool with two healing springs. When the water was "stirred" and the springs began to bubble, a patient might be healed if he or she could get into the pool quickly. At least that's what people said.

The invalid in our story was a hopeless case. For thirty-eight years he had been lying there, unable to move. When Jesus asked, "Do you want to get well?" the man wasn't sure how to answer. Perhaps he didn't know whether he really wanted to be healed. This was his lot. He was doomed to die.

Jesus can heal all paralytics, but he hasn't done this—not yet. When he walked and taught and died and rose in Palestine, he healed a number of so-called hopeless cases. These miracles were signs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and the Son of God. These signs show that he can give new life to anyone. John wants us to believe that.

However, some people today are so used to their imperfections, their dead-end streets of misery, that they aren't even looking for redemption. They don't expect change or recovery. They are resigned to their lot, and they know they are going to die.

Today Jesus asks, "Do you want to get well?" Look up to him and think about your own situation. Tell him you want to get better. If you tell him and trust him, he will do it—whether now or later. You have no sorrow that Jesus cannot heal.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.