WHEN FACED WITH AN ILLNESS or an alarming problem, we might be tempted to think that spiritual healing can come only through deep prayer and study, great spiritual insight, and tremendous spiritual growth. Or that the road to recovery might be long. But, as Jesus proved, healing can be simple and quick.
The Bible gives numerous examples of Jesus healing instantaneously—even when the people he helped had little or no knowledge of his teachings. One example was his healing of a man at the pool of Bethesda. This man had been an invalid for 38 years and hoped to be healed by immersing himself in the springs that bubbled up intermittently in the pool. As he lay on his bed, waiting for someone to lift him into the waters, Jesus talked with him, inquiring "Wilt thou be made whole?"
The man explained that no one was ever available to put him into the waters when they started to move. And as he tried to get down to the pool on his own, someone else would get in first. Jesus didn't discuss the problems that this man faced concerning his condition. Instead the made a simple and direct statement: "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." See John 5:6, 8. And the man did as Jesus said and was completely healed.
