When The Living Water Comes To You
5 Day Devotional
Day 1: When Jesus Comes to Broken Places
Devotional: Have you ever felt like you were in a place of desperation, waiting for something to change? In John 5, we meet a man who had been waiting for 38 years by the pool of Bethesda, hoping for healing. Day after day, year after year, he watched others receive what he desperately needed while he remained in his broken condition. What's remarkable about this story isn't just the healing that eventually came, but where Jesus chose to go. He deliberately walked into this place of suffering—a place where the broken, the lame, the paralyzed gathered in desperation. Jesus wasn't drawn to palaces or places of comfort; He was drawn to human need. This reveals something profound about our Savior's heart. He doesn't wait for us to clean ourselves up or find our way to Him. Instead, He comes to us in our brokenness, in our waiting, in our desperation. Wherever you find yourself today—whether in a season of waiting, in a place of brokenness, or feeling overlooked—take heart. Jesus sees you. He is not repelled by your need; He is drawn to it. The places in your life that seem most hopeless are precisely the places where He loves to show up.
Bible Verse: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." - John 1:29
Reflection Question: What area in your life feels like the pool of Bethesda—a place where you've been waiting for change or healing for a long time? How does it change your perspective to know that Jesus deliberately seeks out such places?
Quote: I'm glad that Jesus chooses to walk into unpleasant places. I'm glad that he chose to came to where I was. He came to my pig pen and he picked me up out of the muck in the mire, and he set my feet on a solid rock.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being a Savior who comes to broken places. Thank You that I don't have to clean myself up or fix myself before You'll come near. Help me to recognize Your presence in my places of waiting and need. Give me eyes to see You walking toward me today. Amen.
Devotional: Have you ever felt like you were in a place of desperation, waiting for something to change? In John 5, we meet a man who had been waiting for 38 years by the pool of Bethesda, hoping for healing. Day after day, year after year, he watched others receive what he desperately needed while he remained in his broken condition. What's remarkable about this story isn't just the healing that eventually came, but where Jesus chose to go. He deliberately walked into this place of suffering—a place where the broken, the lame, the paralyzed gathered in desperation. Jesus wasn't drawn to palaces or places of comfort; He was drawn to human need. This reveals something profound about our Savior's heart. He doesn't wait for us to clean ourselves up or find our way to Him. Instead, He comes to us in our brokenness, in our waiting, in our desperation. Wherever you find yourself today—whether in a season of waiting, in a place of brokenness, or feeling overlooked—take heart. Jesus sees you. He is not repelled by your need; He is drawn to it. The places in your life that seem most hopeless are precisely the places where He loves to show up.
Bible Verse: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." - John 1:29
Reflection Question: What area in your life feels like the pool of Bethesda—a place where you've been waiting for change or healing for a long time? How does it change your perspective to know that Jesus deliberately seeks out such places?
Quote: I'm glad that Jesus chooses to walk into unpleasant places. I'm glad that he chose to came to where I was. He came to my pig pen and he picked me up out of the muck in the mire, and he set my feet on a solid rock.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being a Savior who comes to broken places. Thank You that I don't have to clean myself up or fix myself before You'll come near. Help me to recognize Your presence in my places of waiting and need. Give me eyes to see You walking toward me today. Amen.
Day 2: Do You Want to Be Made Whole?
Devotional: When Jesus approached the man at Bethesda, He asked a question that seems almost unnecessary: "Wilt thou be made whole?" Of course he wants to be healed, right? Who wouldn't? Yet Jesus' question goes deeper than we might initially realize. He wasn't just asking about physical healing—He was addressing the man's entire life. Jesus wasn't offering a quick fix or temporary relief; He was offering complete transformation. Sometimes we approach Jesus with our problems, but we're only looking for enough help to make our current situation more bearable. We want relief from symptoms while keeping the underlying disease. We want enough grace to feel better without the complete transformation that would make us whole. Jesus' question challenges us to examine what we truly want. Do we want to be completely transformed, or just slightly improved? Do we want a new life, or just a better version of our old one? Do we want holiness, or just happiness? The path to wholeness often requires letting go of excuses, abandoning old identities, and embracing a completely new way of living. It's not always comfortable, but it's always worth it.
Bible Verse: "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.'" - John 5:14
Reflection Question: In what ways might you be seeking relief rather than transformation in your relationship with Jesus? What would it look like to truly desire wholeness in every area of your life?
Quote: Jesus wasn't talking about legs. He was talking about life. He wasn't just offering relief. He was offering a transformation. Some folks don't really want to be made whole. They just want to feel a little bit better.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I've settled for temporary relief when You offer complete transformation. Give me the courage to answer honestly when You ask if I want to be made whole. Help me to desire not just Your gifts, but Your holiness in my life. Create in me a clean heart that seeks complete renewal. Amen.
Devotional: When Jesus approached the man at Bethesda, He asked a question that seems almost unnecessary: "Wilt thou be made whole?" Of course he wants to be healed, right? Who wouldn't? Yet Jesus' question goes deeper than we might initially realize. He wasn't just asking about physical healing—He was addressing the man's entire life. Jesus wasn't offering a quick fix or temporary relief; He was offering complete transformation. Sometimes we approach Jesus with our problems, but we're only looking for enough help to make our current situation more bearable. We want relief from symptoms while keeping the underlying disease. We want enough grace to feel better without the complete transformation that would make us whole. Jesus' question challenges us to examine what we truly want. Do we want to be completely transformed, or just slightly improved? Do we want a new life, or just a better version of our old one? Do we want holiness, or just happiness? The path to wholeness often requires letting go of excuses, abandoning old identities, and embracing a completely new way of living. It's not always comfortable, but it's always worth it.
Bible Verse: "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.'" - John 5:14
Reflection Question: In what ways might you be seeking relief rather than transformation in your relationship with Jesus? What would it look like to truly desire wholeness in every area of your life?
Quote: Jesus wasn't talking about legs. He was talking about life. He wasn't just offering relief. He was offering a transformation. Some folks don't really want to be made whole. They just want to feel a little bit better.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I've settled for temporary relief when You offer complete transformation. Give me the courage to answer honestly when You ask if I want to be made whole. Help me to desire not just Your gifts, but Your holiness in my life. Create in me a clean heart that seeks complete renewal. Amen.
Day 3: When the Water Comes to You
Devotional: The pool of Bethesda represents the world's way of healing—limited, competitive, and ultimately insufficient. Only the first person in the water would be healed, leaving everyone else in their suffering. The strong would receive help while the weakest remained in their condition. But Jesus offers something radically different. Instead of requiring the man to get to the water, Jesus—the Living Water—came to him. This is the beautiful reversal of the gospel: we don't climb up to God; He comes down to us. How often do we exhaust ourselves trying to reach healing, peace, or fulfillment through our own efforts? We strive and struggle, thinking if we could just try harder or be better, we might find what we're looking for. But the gospel tells us that what we need most doesn't come through our striving—it comes as a gift. Jesus doesn't stand at a distance calling us to crawl to Him. He doesn't set up a system where only the strongest or fastest receive grace. Instead, He comes to us in our inability, meets us in our weakness, and offers freely what we could never earn. Today, whatever healing or transformation you need, remember: you don't have to get to the water. The Water comes to you.
Bible Verse: "The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." - John 4:15
Reflection Question: In what areas of your life are you striving in your own strength rather than receiving what Jesus freely offers? How might your approach to challenges change if you trusted that Jesus comes to you rather than waiting for you to reach Him?
Quote: When you can't get to the water, I'm glad the water comes to you.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Living Water that comes to me when I cannot reach You on my own. Forgive me for the times I've relied on my own strength rather than Your grace. Help me to stop striving and start receiving. May I rest in the beautiful truth that You come to me in my weakness. Amen.
Devotional: The pool of Bethesda represents the world's way of healing—limited, competitive, and ultimately insufficient. Only the first person in the water would be healed, leaving everyone else in their suffering. The strong would receive help while the weakest remained in their condition. But Jesus offers something radically different. Instead of requiring the man to get to the water, Jesus—the Living Water—came to him. This is the beautiful reversal of the gospel: we don't climb up to God; He comes down to us. How often do we exhaust ourselves trying to reach healing, peace, or fulfillment through our own efforts? We strive and struggle, thinking if we could just try harder or be better, we might find what we're looking for. But the gospel tells us that what we need most doesn't come through our striving—it comes as a gift. Jesus doesn't stand at a distance calling us to crawl to Him. He doesn't set up a system where only the strongest or fastest receive grace. Instead, He comes to us in our inability, meets us in our weakness, and offers freely what we could never earn. Today, whatever healing or transformation you need, remember: you don't have to get to the water. The Water comes to you.
Bible Verse: "The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." - John 4:15
Reflection Question: In what areas of your life are you striving in your own strength rather than receiving what Jesus freely offers? How might your approach to challenges change if you trusted that Jesus comes to you rather than waiting for you to reach Him?
Quote: When you can't get to the water, I'm glad the water comes to you.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Living Water that comes to me when I cannot reach You on my own. Forgive me for the times I've relied on my own strength rather than Your grace. Help me to stop striving and start receiving. May I rest in the beautiful truth that You come to me in my weakness. Amen.
Day 4: From Captivity to Testimony
Devotional: When Jesus healed the man at Bethesda, He gave a curious command: "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." Why did Jesus instruct him to carry the very bed that had held him captive for 38 years? That bed represented the man's limitation, his dependency, his identity as an invalid. It was the symbol of everything that had defined and confined him. By commanding him to carry it, Jesus transformed the symbol of his captivity into a testimony of his deliverance. This is how Jesus works in our lives too. The very things that once held us captive—our struggles, our weaknesses, our painful histories—can become powerful testimonies of God's transforming grace. The addiction that once controlled you can become evidence of God's delivering power. The grief that once paralyzed you can become a platform to comfort others with the comfort you've received. Jesus doesn't just free us from our beds of affliction; He gives us the strength to carry them in victory. He doesn't just heal our wounds; He repurposes them for His glory. He doesn't just change our circumstances; He transforms our stories. What "bed" has defined your life? Jesus wants to transform it from a place of captivity into a testimony of His grace.
Bible Verse: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." - James 2:26
Reflection Question: What past struggle or weakness in your life could God be transforming into a testimony? How might your story of deliverance encourage someone else who is still lying on their "bed"?
Quote: The bed that once held this man captive became the bed he carried in victory. Jesus didn't just free him from sickness, he gave him a testimony.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for not wasting any part of my story. Thank You that the very things that once held me captive can become testimonies of Your grace. Help me to carry my "bed" in victory, not in shame. Use my story to bring hope to others who are still waiting for their deliverance. May my life be evidence of Your transforming power. Amen.
Devotional: When Jesus healed the man at Bethesda, He gave a curious command: "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." Why did Jesus instruct him to carry the very bed that had held him captive for 38 years? That bed represented the man's limitation, his dependency, his identity as an invalid. It was the symbol of everything that had defined and confined him. By commanding him to carry it, Jesus transformed the symbol of his captivity into a testimony of his deliverance. This is how Jesus works in our lives too. The very things that once held us captive—our struggles, our weaknesses, our painful histories—can become powerful testimonies of God's transforming grace. The addiction that once controlled you can become evidence of God's delivering power. The grief that once paralyzed you can become a platform to comfort others with the comfort you've received. Jesus doesn't just free us from our beds of affliction; He gives us the strength to carry them in victory. He doesn't just heal our wounds; He repurposes them for His glory. He doesn't just change our circumstances; He transforms our stories. What "bed" has defined your life? Jesus wants to transform it from a place of captivity into a testimony of His grace.
Bible Verse: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." - James 2:26
Reflection Question: What past struggle or weakness in your life could God be transforming into a testimony? How might your story of deliverance encourage someone else who is still lying on their "bed"?
Quote: The bed that once held this man captive became the bed he carried in victory. Jesus didn't just free him from sickness, he gave him a testimony.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for not wasting any part of my story. Thank You that the very things that once held me captive can become testimonies of Your grace. Help me to carry my "bed" in victory, not in shame. Use my story to bring hope to others who are still waiting for their deliverance. May my life be evidence of Your transforming power. Amen.
Day 5: Grace That Breaks the Rules
Devotional: After Jesus healed the man at Bethesda, the religious leaders completely missed the miracle. Instead of celebrating this man's transformation after 38 years of suffering, they focused on the fact that he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath—breaking their religious rules. This reveals a profound truth: religion often gets upset when grace breaks the rules. The religious mind is more concerned with maintaining order and tradition than witnessing transformation. It would rather see people remain in their suffering than have their healing disrupt established patterns. But Jesus consistently prioritized people over protocols, mercy over regulations, and transformation over tradition. He understood that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. He knew that the letter of the law kills, but the Spirit gives life. This challenges us to examine our own hearts. Do we sometimes value our religious traditions more than we value people's transformation? Do we get uncomfortable when God works in ways that don't fit our expectations? Are we more concerned with maintaining order than witnessing deliverance? Jesus invites us to embrace a grace that sometimes breaks religious rules—not out of rebellion, but out of love. He calls us to value people's healing above our comfort with tradition.
Bible Verse: "And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." - John 5:16-17
Reflection Question: In what ways might you be valuing religious traditions or expectations over people's transformation? How can you better embrace God's sometimes-disruptive grace in your life and community?
Quote: Religion will always get upset. When grace breaks the rules.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I've been more concerned with rules than with people's transformation. Open my eyes to see Your work even when it doesn't fit my expectations. Give me a heart that celebrates Your grace rather than trying to contain it. Help me to value people as You do and to remember that all Your laws are fulfilled in love. Amen.
Devotional: After Jesus healed the man at Bethesda, the religious leaders completely missed the miracle. Instead of celebrating this man's transformation after 38 years of suffering, they focused on the fact that he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath—breaking their religious rules. This reveals a profound truth: religion often gets upset when grace breaks the rules. The religious mind is more concerned with maintaining order and tradition than witnessing transformation. It would rather see people remain in their suffering than have their healing disrupt established patterns. But Jesus consistently prioritized people over protocols, mercy over regulations, and transformation over tradition. He understood that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. He knew that the letter of the law kills, but the Spirit gives life. This challenges us to examine our own hearts. Do we sometimes value our religious traditions more than we value people's transformation? Do we get uncomfortable when God works in ways that don't fit our expectations? Are we more concerned with maintaining order than witnessing deliverance? Jesus invites us to embrace a grace that sometimes breaks religious rules—not out of rebellion, but out of love. He calls us to value people's healing above our comfort with tradition.
Bible Verse: "And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." - John 5:16-17
Reflection Question: In what ways might you be valuing religious traditions or expectations over people's transformation? How can you better embrace God's sometimes-disruptive grace in your life and community?
Quote: Religion will always get upset. When grace breaks the rules.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I've been more concerned with rules than with people's transformation. Open my eyes to see Your work even when it doesn't fit my expectations. Give me a heart that celebrates Your grace rather than trying to contain it. Help me to value people as You do and to remember that all Your laws are fulfilled in love. Amen.
Posted in Pastor Chris