You Don’t Have to Convince God to Bless You—He Wants You Blessed Now!
“He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up. When Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God. The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!” Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water? Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.” (Luke 13:10-17 WEB)
On yet another Sabbath day of rest, Jesus was out proclaiming God’s word and setting the captives free.
When man rests in God, God is at work to deliver them from all oppression.
The woman was bowed down by a spirit of infirmity (weakness). A demon manifests its own traits in its host.
The infirm demon manifested in the woman by making her physically weak as well.
Eighteen years is significant because it’s a compound of adding three sets of six together.
God created man on the sixth day of creation.
666 is the number of the Beast (Antichrist) and represents man in his most depraved, carnal state—in absolute rejection of God.
This kind of wickedness is the work of the devil.
“Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.” (Revelation 13:18 WEB)
Sometimes we are beaten down by Satan and his agents until we are bowed so low with no strength to even look into Jesus’ face.
After hearing Jesus’ teaching, I believe her heart was filled with faith.
As much as she wanted to, the woman couldn’t even look at Jesus properly to ask Him for help.
This didn’t stop God from healing her through Jesus. In this miracle, we see that faith is all we need to receive God’s blessings.
The woman was in no condition to provide perfect service towards Jesus, but having faith in her heart was all that she needed to receive her healing.
This miracle takes away all boasting in man’s performance and instead glorifies God’s goodness.
Religion reared its ugly head when the ruler of the synagogue condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.
An amazing deliverance was just worked in his midst and all he could focus on was that Jesus worked healing on the Sabbath.
Legalism is cold-hearted because it obeys laws for the sake of obeying it, without considering what is God’s true heart for man.
“He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27 WEB)
Man was not made for the Sabbath—the Sabbath was made for man’s benefit. It’s a day of rest from labors which everyone needs.
It’s always been about man’s well-being.
Like Adam, our bodies are made of the dust of the ground, and farmers will know that soil has to be left to fallow (rest).
It will become infertile if it is constantly worked to produce crops.
Similarly, overworking without rest damages our body.
The ruler of the synagogue didn’t doubt that Jesus could heal the woman. He just didn’t want Jesus to heal her that day—in other words, “Come back another day to be healed.”
I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t say, “Oh sorry lady, I guess I can’t heal you today. Come back another day to be healed.”
He didn’t put off her deliverance as if it wasn’t urgent.
God’s heart is to heal you now—He wants you freed from the demonic oppression that has bound you.
As much as you hate that sickness, poverty, depression, addiction or whatever is keeping you bound, God hates it too because it is harming you—the one He loves.
If you have faith in Jesus, you can receive your healing right now.
If not, the delay is just the journey which God is taking you through to cast out unbelief and bring you to a place of unpolluted faith.
Unbelief is like a poison—one drop can make the entire well of water unusable.
The New Covenant of Grace is all about receiving God’s blessings through faith and not through earning it by performance.
Jesus saw through the ruler’s hypocrisy. Religious folks only obey the laws which suit their agenda, but when it contradicts their own fleshly interests, they find excuses to not adhere to the law.
Man can never be justified by his obedience to the Law. His attempts at doing so just stirs up his sinful flesh and brings out the worst of him.
Don’t be confused—Jesus is not like the religious leaders who are putting all kinds of obstacles in the way of your deliverance.
Jesus is the one trying to convince them that the time for your deliverance is now.
Religion says, “Yes God heals, but first you need to do these things and then God will be merciful to you and heal you.”
Instead, God says, “Yes I am willing and able to heal you. Just place your faith in what Jesus has done and you’ll receive your healing.”
Satan has made you suffer long enough. Today is the day of your deliverance and it is surely God’s will to free you now—receive your breakthrough by faith!
Today’s Spiritual Exercise:
What self-concocted excuses are you telling yourself to disqualify yourself from receiving the breakthrough you need? Change your mind about this because God has already qualified you to receive every blessing through faith in Jesus and His finished work at the cross!
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