People with a past (2)

“Jesus…called her to Him.” Luke 13:12 NKJV

We don’t know how long it took this woman to get to the front of the church when Jesus called her. Disabled people don’t move as quickly as others. There are two important lessons for you in her story. (1) Sometimes you won’t grow and mature as fast as others because you have been struggling with a debilitating problem for a long time. What seems easy for others can be very difficult for you. But there is good news: Jesus will wait for you, and He will work with you until you overcome your problem. (2) Your testimony will come out of the tests you have been through. And no matter what you have been through, today Jesus is calling you. He is saying, “Get up! You can approach me.” Regardless of what you have done or what kind of abuse you have suffered, He is calling you. You may think your secret is worse than anyone else’s. Rest assured that God knows all about it. And His promise is this: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you…I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt” (Jeremiah 31:3-4 NKJV). Like a master sculptor creating something beautiful out of a crude piece of rock, God can turn your mess into a message of hope for others. The reason Satan has attacked you is because you have something valuable to contribute. This woman’s story ends with these words: “The multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him” (Luke 13:17 NKJV). God’s plan is to have people look at your life and say, “Something has happened to you; you’re not the same person anymore!”

Bible in a year: Joshua 22-24 and John 4:31-54