Many of us feel frustrated with prayer and see little or no progress in our personal ‘holiness’. Yet we believe in a God of power, who is very keen for us to show forth the gifts of His spirit. What’s the problem here?
There is a Gospel story
That is both sad and cruel:
Of how a poor cripple
Sits waiting by the pool.
Now and then an angel
Stirs the water, to bring healing;
But the man is far too slow,
And fails to get his heel in.
So there he sits, day by day,
His eyes glued to the surface:
Hurting, waiting, hoping;
Obsessed with single purpose.
Frustrated beyond measure,
With no one there to help,
His soul in numb despair,
Closed in upon himself.
This man is held in limbo,
Alive, but cased in death;
No hope of any healing,
Despairing with every breath.
The story as presented:
One of total helplessness;
Could surely serve as metaphor
For spiritual wilderness?
This man might well have died,
Without any consolation;
But Jesus saw his need,
And felt his desolation.
Like Elijah in the desert,
Who had given up the fight;
Only God’s intervention,
Can impact upon our plight.
Could we learn from this man,
Who’s waiting by the pool?
Especially if our prayer life,
Seems ‘waiting like a fool’?
Will God ever visit us,
His powerful grace to bless?
Is it only ever in the Gospel,
That we see His willingness?
In his utter desperation,
The cripple can but wait;
He has no other distraction,
To make him forget his fate.
We – miss both angel’s touch,
And God’s constant blessing;
Being far too pre-occupied:
When He calls – we’re missing…