Grace Speaks

John 5:^8-9 “Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”  Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!” (emphasis added).

Why did Jesus instruct the man to pick up his mat? There are several implications, but we will look at two. The first implication is Don’t Leave Any Trace of Your Stuff Among The Wrong Crowd. And the Bible says the man rolled up his sleeping mat. Jesus just said he should pick it up, but the man rolled it up. Don’t leave any trace of your stuff among the wrong crowd. I pray that there will be no trace of you or your stuff among the wrong crowd in the Name of Jesus. There will be no trace of your problem in the Name of Jesus. So, people will not have any reason to ask whose mat is this and they will say it is for Mr Lagbaja.

No, there will be no emblem, no memorial of you in that place in the Name of Jesus. The angels asked the women, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here anymore.” (Luke 24:5-6, please read). You will not be at that address—no trace, completely changed, and wiped out. The second implication is, What You Got Healed of You Get To Hold. “…pick up your mat…”; don’t be ashamed of your story, it is for His glory. This is who you were, this is what happened to you. When people ask why you are carrying the mat, you will respond, “I used to be crippled, but I met a man called Jesus and He healed me.”

The people whose sight Jesus restored, for instance, can share their testimony. But after a while, the people who knew them as blind will reduce. They will meet more people who never knew their history as blind. And there will be nothing to trigger the testimony. However, in the case of this man, when he meets new people who do not know his history, they will ask why he is carrying the mat and what it signifies. Then he will say, “Let me tell you my story. I used to be crippled by the pool of Bethesda. I met a man called Jesus and He healed me.”

Your testimony is consistent, resounding, and everlasting in the Name of Jesus. “…pick up your mat…”, that is your story don’t be ashamed of it. John 5:^10-11 “so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!” But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” No matter how you cut it and dice it, grace always speaks. Grace will speak for you at work, in your business, health, mind, finances, relationships—everywhere in the Name of Jesus. The mat picking is a statement of grace. You need to take your eyes off people and the process so that you can see Jesus and respond to Him, the source of flowing mercy.

Prayer: Father, thank You for grace everywhere speaking for me, in Jesus Name. Amen!