[00:00:00] You are listening to Abide in Jesus, the podcast for women who want to experience Christ’s healing touch in their lives. I’m your host author, Carolyn Rice. And in this episode, we’ll see why the man with the withered hand was courageous and how you can be courageous too.
The scripture for today is Mark 3:1-5 from the world English Bible.
[00:00:27] He entered again into the synagogue. And there was a man there who had his hand withered. They watched him whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day that they might accuse him. He said to the man who had his hand withered, “Stand up.” He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life or to kill? But they were silent.
[00:00:53] When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out. And his hand was restored as healthy as the other.
Mark 3:1-5 World English Bible
What Did Jesus say to the man with the Withered Hand?
Now I want you to notice what Jesus said to the man with the withered hand at first. In the world English Bible, it says stand up.
[00:01:16] But in the new king James version, it says step forward.
And here’s where the man’s courage came in.
This man was surrounded by naysayers. The rulers of the synagogue were against him being healed that particular day, because it was the Sabbath.
Would he come into contact with Jesus again?
Was this his only chance to be healed?
[00:01:45] Should he do what the prevailing society wanted or what Jesus directed him to do?
Jesus said to step forward. Yet there they were watching him like a Hawk, waiting to accuse Jesus.
So, in the midst of the Pharisees and the rulers of the synagogue, who said it was not okay for him to be healed that day, he stepped forward.
What can we learn from the man with the withered hand?
First of all, keep your eyes on Jesus. When you are surrounded by naysayers, by people who say that you cannot be healed, are you will always be the way that you are or that you’re not worth healing or not worth spending time on, or you’re too far gone or whatever they’re saying to you…
Keep your eyes on Jesus and what he says about you.
In my own life, there were religious people who had already defined me as broken and couldn’t see past their own definition of me.
They dismissed what God was doing in my life and even came against it at times. And in the midst of these people who really didn’t know me at all, I had to continue moving forward with Jesus, no matter how badly they made me want to quit.
I came to a place where I had to decide, who was I going to listen to? Who was I going to let be the voice in my life? Who was I going to let define who I was and what they could do?
Was it man, who believed only the negative about me?
Or was it Jesus, who was calling me out of the darkness and into his light.
In the midst of those naysayers, Jesus brought people to encourage me.
On my very first day of Bible college, they prayed over the new students. I stepped forward. And a man came and stood over me. He was this big Teddy bear of a man. It seemed like he was maybe seven feet tall and I’m a little short here. So, he stood and towered over me, and he said, “That’s not who you are anymore! When he looks at you, he sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ!”
And that man so encouraged me.
Even years later, I can still hear his prayer and hear his voice.
And I thank God for that encouragement that helped me to keep moving forward.
So, who are your naysayers?
Is it people who want to keep you under their thumb?
People who say, God can’t work in your life?
People whose definition of you is broken and they think that you can’t be changed?
Who are your naysayers?
Always Be Looking at Jesus
No matter what the naysayers are telling you always be looking at Jesus and doing what he says.
It might make them angry. Their voices might get louder for a time.
But you have to decide who is going to be the prevailing voice in your life?
Is it them or is it Jesus?
And I can tell you, dear sister, that when you follow Jesus, he will bring people into your life to encourage you. And those naysayers’ voices may not be drowned out at first, but as you move forward and as God works in your life, those naysayers ‘voices will become quieter and quieter and quieter until they are minuscule compared to what God is doing in you.
So, I want to say a prayer for you today.
Father. I pray for my sister in Christ. I pray that you would give her the courage to step out. Even when there are naysayers surrounding her, I pray that you would help her to not let others define her, manipulate her, or say that what you want to do in her life can’t be done.
Lord, where she has been discouraged, I pray that you would bring encouragement.
I pray father, that you would bring someone into her to her life that would confirm what you’ve been telling her. And she won’t even have to talk about it. They’ll just say it to her.
I thank you father, that she’ll find help and encouragement and peace in that secret place with you.
I thank you father, that you would help her to know that you have a plan for her healing and as she follows you, you will lead her to that healing.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
Thank you for listening to Abide in Jesus. You can find show notes for this episode at Carolynsbooks.com. Do you know someone who you feel would enjoy abide in Jesus, share the love and send them a link to this episode.
God bless.
