An Unanswered Question Is A Missed Blessing

Have you ever tried to assist someone who was in obvious need of help? More than eager to be a blessing you asked, \”How can I help?  What do you need?\” Yet, instead of responding, they danced all around the question doing everything but answering. I don’t know about you, but I find such situations very frustrating.

Jesus experienced this same frustration when He tried to heal the man at the Pool of Bethesda. The lame man almost missed out on his healing because he did not answer the question.

During Jesus’ time medical care was not very available or affordable. As a result, many either remained ill or sought other resources for healing. One of those resources was the Pool of Bethesda. Occasionally an angle would touch the water endowing it with the power to heal. The first person to step into the water after the angle left was healed.

An occupant of the pool was a lame man who lived there for 38 years. Due to his disability he could never step into the water before anyone else so he remained ill.

Knowing there was a special need, Jesus took a detour and stopped by the pool on his way to the Jewish fest. Once He found the lame man Jesus asked him the million-dollar question. Do you want to be made whole?

A simple question wouldn’t you say? Yet the man didn\’t answer. Instead, he explained why he was still sick. His response was “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool…” Jesus didn’t ask him why he wasn‘t healed. He was asking if he wanted healing. There is a stark difference between the two questions.

The lame man was presented with the perfect opportunity. The chance to be healed by the greatest physician in the world. Yet, he could not receive the blessing.

I am certain that like the man by the pool there were times when you didn’t answer the question. It’s amazing how human nature works. We pray, hope, and seek for solutions, but when it’s time to say what we want, we shy away from the true answer.

Why does this happen? These are a few reasons:

Complacency
You have lived with the situation for so long it has become a part of you. Like another limb. Although the situation is uncomfortable and painful, you have accepted it as the norm and hesitate to let it go.

Opinions and criticism
Opinions and criticism can hold you hostage. Concern for what others think prevents you from doing what you know is best for your life.

Loss of faith
People usually establish a timeline for when they think their prayers should be answered. When the answer doesn’t come as scheduled, they lose faith. They may not lose faith in God, but lose faith He will act in behalf of that particular situation. When the answer does come, they can’t believe it and thus don’t know how to respond.

Fear
Fear of the unknown. Fear of change. Fear of failure. If you allow it, fear will keep you in bondage. It will never go away. Instead, you must learn how to operate in its presence, taking away its power.

Not God’s will
You didn‘t hear from God and therefore decided it wasn’t His will for your life. As a result, you decided your current situation is your destiny.

Although the lame man failed to answer the question, Jesus healed him anyway. But you may not be that fortunate. Instead, you may lose out on a blessing.

How has not answering questions affected your life? Which blessings have you given up because you didn’t respond appropriately? What steps will you take to stop sabotaging your blessings?