WHAT DO YOU WANT?

MEMORY VERSE: When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? John 5:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 26-28

Bible scholars told us that Jesus, while he was on earth, asked 307 questions. One of the questions He asked, time and time again, whenever people in need of a thing or the other come to Him is “what do you want Me to do for you?” For instance,in Matthew 20:30-34, two blind men heard that Jesus was passing by and they called on Him. Verse 32 says: “And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?” Jesus could see that these men were blind yet He asked them, what do you want Me to do for you? Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by and he began to scream at the top of his voice “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:46-52). Verse 51 says: “And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.” Again, Jesus was aware of the condition of this man's eye. He knew why Bartimaeus was persistent when people tried to shut him off. Yet, when Bartimaeus arrived He asked him, what do You want me to do for you? Jesus was at the pool of Bethesda one day when He saw a certain man who had been sick for thirty-eight years ( John 5:1-15). The bible records that Jesus knew that the man had been there a long time in that case. Jesus knew the man was at that pool to get healed and yet He asked him, "Wilt thou be made whole?" The question is why does Jesus ask people these questions?
The truth is you don't know what people need or want unless they tell you.

What you think they need is not always what they need even though the need is obvious. When Jesus asked that man at the pool of Bethesda “Wilt thou be made whole”? He said No! I don’t want You to heal me. All i want is a man to put me into the pool when it is stirred. John 5:7 says: “The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” You really don’t know what people want until you ask them. I will never forget an incident that happened when I was still in the world - before I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. My girlfriend told me she had some problems. She mentioned the first problem; I told her what to do and she said "i know". She mentioned the second problem; again, i told her what do and she said "i know". I was baffled. She mentioned the third one; i told her what do and she said "i know". "If you know the answers to these problems why ask me", i asked. She said I am not looking for answer to the problems; i am looking for someone to sit quietly and listen to me. I thought she wanted solutions but she wanted someone to listen to her share what she was going through. Bro, maybe what sister wants is someone to share what she is going through with not someone to analyze her challenges and solve it in a second. Many many years ago, some pastors went to pray for a sick sister. She was a believer but her husband was not at that time. They prayed for days and the sister did not recover so these pastors went to the Lord to ask what the problem was. The Lord said to them, “have you asked her what she wants?” “Oh Lord, we know what she wants... She is sick... she is in pains.. She wants healing,” they responded. The Lord said to them , “ask her for what she wants.” To their shock, the sister said "i don't want to be healed". “My husband only gives me attention when i am sick; I will rather be sick and have his attention than be healed and lose his attention" she continued. I pray that you will not labor in vain in Jesus name.

NOTE: Don't be naive. Don't assume because a sister is friendly to you, she is interested in you. Don't assume because a brother is nice to you, he is trying to say something. He is not trying to say anything until he opens his mouth.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world