“And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up…” James 5:15
There are three historical stories from the Bible that I want to share with you. In all three you will see people who were in a low position and could not get themselves up. The first is found in John 5. Jesus asked a lame man by a pool of water, “Do you want to be healed?” The pool was known to bring healing to the first person that stepped in after an angel stirred it. Of all the people waiting by that pool, the one Jesus approached was a lame man, a man incapable of moving himself. To a lame man with a need, Jesus said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.’” The man walked. I believe this miracle is illustrative of the condition we all are in. We are insufficient to raise ourselves up to the life God intends for us to have. We need someone to resurrect us and lift us to the place of abundant life that God has for us.
The second is found in Luke 5. A paralyzed man had friends who wanted to help him. They heard of the healing miracles that Jesus had performed. However, they could not reach Jesus because of the crowd in the building. The men lifted their friend to the roof and let him down into the crowd. Jesus said, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Then man immediately got up and went, glorying God. The people who witnessed the miracle spoke of seeing strange things, impossible things. However, if God can create, then why could He not recreate? If God can give life, then surely He can raise it up again.
In Acts 3, Peter and John went to the temple where a beggar approached them. The beggar was a man who had never walked a day in his life. He was in a lowly position because of a condition outside of his control and outside of his ability to fix. The lame beggar called out to Peter and John for money. Peter replied, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.” Peter had been with Jesus, and he knew that Jesus had given him authority and power. Peter said to the man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Then Peter took the man by his hand and lifted the lame man up. The man, for the first time, walked, then leaped, and began to shout his praises to God.
All three accounts tell us this – we cannot save ourselves; we cannot heal ourselves. They also communicate that God’s life is available to us here and now. The good news is this, our need makes us a prime candidate for Christ’s resurrection power to be demonstrated.
Application: The world we live in is a constant reminder of our limitations. Fast. Pray. See a God without any limits. He will raise you up.