Jn.5:2-4 – Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
The Lord loves to come down in certain seasons and stir up the water. I feel like we may be in one of those water stirring, angel visitation seasons right now. Just like the turbulent 60’s and 70’s when the Lord shocked the nation with a full on hippie revival, the Lord just may be stirring the waters again. It seems like all of us get a little apathetic and lukewarm from time to time, stirring up the gift of God in our lives is critical if we want to continue to move in the power of God. Matthew Henry believed that in the 1700’s, here is what he had to say.
“The preparation of the medical treatment by an angel, who went down into the pool and troubled (stirred up) the water. Notice what humble work the holy angels stoop to. If we want to do the will of God as the angels do it, we must think nothing beneath us except sin. The disturbing of the waters was the sign that the angel had come down. The waters of the sanctuary are healing when they are put in motion. Ministers must stir up the gift that is in them (2Ti 1:6). When they are cold and dull in their ministry, the waters settle and tend not to heal. The angel came down to stir up the water at a certain season.”
The last several years have been incredibly hard on our country and also on the church. It is in times like these that the Lord comes down and touches the hearts of His people. Only the power of God can sustain us and move us forward in perilous times. When you see the waters beginning to stir it is the time to get in. My first trip into the angel water was in August of 1973 in the Jesus movement. I was made alive and empowered by the water of the Spirit. The waters are starting to move again, pick up your pallet and climb in to the Living water of the Spirit of God.
” If we want to do the will of God as the angels do it, we must think nothing beneath us except sin.” What an extraordinary statement, just the opposite happens when we allow pride to increase our stature therefore building confidence in our abilities. Wrong.