There is an interesting story in the Bible about a man in Jerusalem, who had been crippled for 38 years.  He spent everyday of his life lying on a mat, waiting by the pool of Bethesda, wishing for a miracle!

Many times, we are just like this man.  We lay back, day after day, month after month and year after year waiting and wishing for a miracle!  We hope that someone or something will come along and make everything better!

The Scripture in John 5 tells us that Jesus saw the man and this is what Jesus said:  ⁶“Do you want to get well?”   ⁷ “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”   ⁸ Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”⁹ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

Notice that when Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, he did not answer the question, but instead started to make excuses!  We do the very same thing!  Jesus did not even respond the this sad story of excuses, instead He told the man:  “Get up!, Pick up you mat and walk!”  In other words, stop making excuses!

If you really are serious about getting well?  If you really are serious about getting your life together?  If you really want to experience something better?  If you really want to get out of the mess of self misery, then get up and get out of the situation!

The amazing thing is:  This man was cured at once!  I believe that many of us have a miracle, we just need to get up and claim it!  It’s time to stop laying on a mat of personal pity, where all we seem to do is feel sorry for ourselves!  It’s time to get up out of our misery and walk into our amazing grace life of miracles!  Stop making excuses and start experiencing miracles!