ARISE

“Arise and begin working, and the LORD be with you” I Chronicles 22:16.

Greetings to you on behalf of the family of Shalom Family Enrichment Mission. May the good LORD bless you and your family, and hold your hand and lead you throughout this month. Father David tells his son Solomon who has taken the kingship from his father. Actually David wanted to build a Church for his heavenly Father who was with him from his 17 years or even before that. In Psalm 22:9, 10, he wrote, “But You are He who took me out of the womb; You made me trust while on my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from my birth. From my mother’s womb You have been my God” But God did not allow him to build the Church. The responsibility of building the Church for the Living GOD fell on Solomon. God gave him special wisdom and vision to build according to the LORD’S desire. So David now blesses him and tells him, “Arise and begin working, and the LORD be with you”

The LORD gives responsibility to each and every one according to His will and He expects His children to exhibit their talents for His glory. The LORD encourages you to rise up and keep going for He is with you. He does not want His children to be lazy and brood over their weaknesses and problems. When He gives a charge or commission, He expects it to be fulfilled and executed. In this process He will be with them and will strengthen them.

DAVID AND SOLOMON

David was spoon feeding Solomon. David provided him with innumerable stocks of gold, silver, brass, and iron.  He had to only arise and be doing what he had been commissioned to do and the LORD would be with him. David was spoon feeding Solomon. Everything was given into Solomon’s hands and it was up to him to rise up and ‘be doing’.

A LIGHT SHINING IN DARKNESS

Is. 60:1, 2→”Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you” This is a promise given by God to the Israelites in slavery. These Israelites are broken people. Hopelessness is a common description of broken people. They have nowhere to turn to, nothing they can do to circumstances of their lives to where it is livable. The theme of light shining in darkness is the most powerful message to give it to such hopeless people. No matter how black the darkness and difficult it seems to shrug it off, one needs only think of how turning of a light can bring a whole change to the dismal situation. The light that comes from the LORD is the light which is sent by Him, Jesus Christ, into the world. He is the Light that shines in every Christian life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” John 1:4, 5.

POOL OF BETHESDA

In John chapter 5, we read about a miracle that took place at Bethesda. Here we see the occasion is a feast, in Jerusalem, near the sheep gate, at the pool of Bethesda, near the colonnades, amidst the multitudes, with a number of disabled and finally he focuses on a man who had been sick for 38 years. This man is the only one who had given up all hope of ever getting into the pool. What were the sick people waiting for? They were waiting for an angel to come and stir the waters. Out of so many sick people, Jesus comes to Him! I think it is interesting to note that the solution to the man’s problem was Jesus, but he couldn’t see it. He was focused on getting to the pool. He wanted to use Jesus to help him get to the pool. He wasn’t looking to Jesus for the healing. Jesus asks the question “Do you want to get well?” Perhaps we could paraphrase it, “Do you want help from me?” The man just wants to get to the water. He doesn’t realize who Jesus is and what Jesus can do.

“Pick up you mat and walk” is the statement of healing. That he does it is the sign of the healing. What I think is very important and applicable for us is that when Jesus gives a command, He also gives the enablement to carry out the command. If we see a command in Scripture that we are to follow, we don’t do it by our own power. We do it through the power that God supplies.

Just like this man had used his resources for 38 years to get well, we usually depend on our own resources to solve our problems. When they don’t work, we despair. Sometimes we do turn to God, but with the wrong goal in mind. Just like this man who wanted Jesus to help him get down to the pool, I think we often look to God to give us what we think we need, when in fact, what we need it God, himself. If I’m depressed over a bad relationship or marriage, I want God to change the other person, when maybe I’m the one that needs to change or at least learn to depend on God for the fulfillment that no human can possibly give. One’s eternal destiny is more important than one’s temporal disability. To some — The healing of disease is more important than evangelism. I think that some of the television healers are a good example. We carry out the commands of God by the power which God supplies.

The man’s case is not closed – After 38 years, nearly 14,000 days, every day like the last – what hope would he really have? No doubt he thought, “This only happens to other people.  I’m not the kind that ever gets the healing.  It could never happen to me.  It’s always someone else that gets the blessing.  I deserve what I have.  I don’t deserve healing.”The man never would have known and never believed today would be the day. Yet this sign, this miracle, is a reminder to us that no person or situation is too far gone that they are beyond His reach.  And just because we’ve tried it before on our own, doesn’t mean we can’t do it when Christ is with us. Doing it without Christ is like not having the right tools.

Jesus said take up your mat and walk.  The guy would have never known he could walk if he hadn’t taken a step.  You’ll never know the hope that awaits those who put their faith and trust in Christ if you don’t take a step, if you don’t say yes. Whatever it is you’re lacking, Jesus can make you whole.

So Jesus is asking you today, “Do you want to be made whole?”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, increase my faith so that I may rise up in the Name of Jesus and taste Thine mighty power in my life. Amen.