John 5:7

The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

We start every round of golf with a hope of success. The same is true for when we start a new job or any endeavor. Our expectations are both fresh and high. Our hopes are measured by past experiences. Where there is no hope of any positivity, defeat is the only possible result.

Hopelessness is a tragic and debilitating disease. Our world is full of it. Negativity meets us at every corner and we read about it anytime we check for a news update. It almost seems we look for hope in all the areas where only desperation is reported.

The paralyzed man in John 5 had been in this state for 38 years and likely spent much of it lying by the pools at Bethesda with a hope of being healed. Feast after feast went by and, yet, he still not able to even approach the waters because of his paralyzed state.

The people believed the waters were the source of the healing during the time of this feast. However, the paralyzed man knew he was not able to enter the pool as no one had ever attempted to assist him. The man still positioned himself near the pool with a hope in his hopeless condition. The appearance of Jesus blinded the others by the pool. They could not see the healer because of their reliance on the waters.

Jesus healed a man that day who woke up hopeless, but hopeful at the same time. His physical condition gave him pause of any hope of ever being able to walk. Many times we find ourselves feeling hopeless because we allow our self-dependence on the “physical” to paralyze our spiritual state. We all experience spiritual “dry times” when we feel unable to read the Word or pray to God effectively. Instead of feeling hopeless, we must still position ourselves by attending worship services and reading our Bible. When we feel the least like going to church is the time when we need to go the most. Our Lord will meet us and will be faithful to restore our strength.