STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND

On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” After looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored. 

Luke 6:6 (NASB)

   What is it in your life that has become an obstacle or a part of your life that seems to hinder you?

Jesus, standing in a crowd, called the man with the withered hand to get up and be the center of everyone’s observation. 

He then proceeded to command him to do something he can’t do. To stretch forth his withered and crippled hand. 

At that moment the man had a choice to listen to Jesus or to simply refuse. 

I have been in situations where I was called to stand up and didn’t want to be the focus of the crowd, has that ever happened to you?

Yet here Jesus asked the man to stand and asked him to do something impossible for him to do.

 How many of you reading this have a obstacle in your life and feel like God is asking you to do something you can’t do?

How about in regards to God’s word? Have you ever felt like God was asking you to do something you can’t do? 

You may have said in your mind, “God commands me to love my neighbor and even my enemies but I just don’t know how to love,” or “You just don’t know about my past or my family history.”

I don’t know what your obstacle is but His command is beyond our ability in our own strength.

What it demands from us, is a willingness to believe. That’s the gospel! Believe and be saved!

Do you believe God is able to save you wholly and completely? Do you believe He is able to take the deformity of your life and cause it to be stretched forth and be supernaturally healed? 

What is it in your life that has become an obstacle or deformity to you? Like the man with the withered hand, something you hope no one else notices? Something that frustrates you, that only the person closest to you knows about? 

What will you do when His command comes to you? What if the command is to walk in love, or to be holy as He is holy? What if it’s to be sanctified? 

These commands seem burdensome and we feel like we cannot accomplish them. 

We cannot do these things on our own, they have to be done by faith. 

Are you ready to get rid of the excuses and do what God is calling you to do? 

Listen friends, the man with the withered hand got up and had the willingness to believe. Then Jesus enabled him to do what he was not able to do which was to heal him as he stretched forth his hand by faith. 

Jesus can take that withered portion of your life and bring healing as you get rid of the excuses and stand up when He calls. 

Lord, please help us to be truly honest with ourselves and cause us to believe that you can take the withered portion of our lives and bring restoration. In Jesus name, Amen.

“Draw me after you and let us run together!

Song of Solomon 1:4