Take Up Your Mat

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030816.cfm) reminds me how powerful obeying God's word is. 

The gospel shows us the story of Jesus healing a man on a Sabbath. He need not touch the man, he just gave him instructions and he was healed. Jesus saw the faith in the man, and he recognized it. However, when he healed the man, it was not the end of it. Jesus told the man to rise up and take his mat. Jesus wanted the man not only to confirm to himself that he is well, but more so to obey him - to act and do his part to be fully healed. 

Obeying God is powerful.  

Even if Jesus gave the instruction and healed the man, he would not have felt it had he not moved. He would not realize he has been healed if he did not obey Jesus. That’s what God wants from us. God wants us not only to have faith in him, but to obey as well. 

Sometimes, God's ways are different from ours. Probably the man was expecting Jesus to touch him or carry him into the water to be healed. But he just said the word. We too probably experience this. Sometimes we feel that God's ways are different, that it is not what we expect. Sometimes it may even seem crazy. However, as we saw in the gospel, as long as we obey, no matter what God tells us, then we would feel his healing love, we would get our prayers answered. 

May we be reminded to obey God, no matter how trivial or crazy his instructions for us are. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I don't obey you. Sorry for the times I want you to conform to what I want, and not for me to just humbly obey you. Help me have faith like the man, and help me have his will. May I always be ready to follow you no matter what you ask of me. May I always remember that simple acts become powerful if blessed by you. Amen. 
 
Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-