Then he said . . . “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. (Matt. 12:13)
Expanded Passage: Matthew 11:28-12:14
Hope can easily be lost in our problem-plagued world. We may begin the day with very little anticipation that anything good will come our way. We stumble into our day with lame legs, withered hands, and dried-up souls.
In the time of Jesus, Sabbath days were for going to the temple or sitting in the synagogue. This man left home knowing Jewish law allowed him to walk to the synagogue and no farther. Sabbath laws limited what he could carry, but his bum hand wouldn’t let him carry more. It started out as another day of being trapped in a body that didn’t work well. Then he heard Jesus tell him to stick out his shriveled hand, the one hidden under a fold in his garment. He was ashamed to let anyone see it, but he did what Jesus said. When he looked at his outstretched hand, he saw that it was completely normal. He had been healed on a day when nothing special or spectacular was supposed to happen.
Could today be the day when God wants to break through all of the reasons why nothing good is supposed to happen to you? Could this be the day when Jesus asks you to show him your problem because he wants to restore you to wholeness? Every day is a good day when God is allowed to be present in it.
Show your problem to Jesus and allow him to bless you.
Ken Heer was an ordained minister with The Wesleyan Church prior to his death. He served as a pastor, educator, and church leader for more than fifty years.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
