DEVOTION - FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

Holy Land Devotions 2010 - Day 39

The Pools of Betheseda Ruins by Lynn Wolf

"POOL CLEANING: Hard Work Then And Now"

by Angele Cooper, Glassboro UMC

The Healing at the Pool - John 5:1-9

"Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five

covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie-the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked."

We bought an Intex pool several years ago which meets our needs perfectly. It does, however, require frequent cleaning due mostly to the size of the filter that is included in the "kit." As I survey it from outside it appears often to need just a "touch up." So, in I hop with the skimming net to get the large pieces of debris that have

fallen in from the surrounding trees. I am usually quite amazed at how much else is floating around in the water.

I've also learned the hard way that leaving these seemingly harmless pieces of the environment for a more convenient time causes much more work later. They accumulate and/or attract other pieces to attach themselves and then you've got more then skimming will clean sometimes even more than one vacuuming will handle. [Again, it's kind of small equipment]. The other thing I've noticed is that even when all the cleaning is done and I'm ready to just relax and enjoy this little luxury, there is always something floating around in the water.

As I am tackling this chore, over and over again I am reminded of the parallel to our Christian walk. First of all, keeping our hearts clean and ready to enjoy the privilege of serving Christ takes the

same diligence as cleaning a pool. You don't just do it once and are done. It is an ongoing task that needs to be accomplished to be crisp and clear. And much like the misleading appearance of readiness, when you jump in or take a close look, there is often an amazing amount of unwanted spots to deal with. And they take hard, diligent work to get rid of them. You have to have the correct tools and know how to use them. And when all else fails, you have to READ THE MANUAL/THE DIRECTIONS! Oh, the amount of time and trials and effort that could be saved if we started with the manual first. Again, what a parallel to our Christian walk! Of course the Bible is the manual to which I am referring. If we start with it and read and re-read it as often as we need to refresh ourselves on the details or refer to it for specific instructions, the tasks before us are so much more manageable.

Then, once we begin, we can't allow little,

seemingly harmless, habits or distractions go unchecked. Temptations often lead to sin in such situations and sin can be a lot harder to clean up after it is committed than dealing with the temptation in the first place.

Today, I was once more in the pool walking around with the skimming net in my hand gathering the tiny gnats and insects, leaves and tree pieces that had fallen on the water's surface while my daughter, Aimee, and her dad were chatting and floating about. She asked me if I ever just enjoy the pool. My response was that I was enjoying the fact that we have the pool and I am challenged to keep it as clear as possible. That's the way it should be with our lives. We should never tire of praying and seeking the fine tuning of our Christianity that will make us a shining, inviting example for others. When we are at our best, others are also blessed by that outcome.

Just the same as I would not dream of owning a pool without expecting to accept the fact that I need to work to keep it ready for use, we should not expect our Christian walk to take care of itself. We must be ready, willing and able to do what it takes to make it ready for the Master's pleasure. We must be willing to take up our mat and walk.

Angele Cooper