God has graciously given us another day with which to serve
Him and lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven. What a privilege is
ours to do so! There are many opportunities that lie before us each day;
but will we put our hands to the task? Incidentally, have any of you ever
tried to do something with only one hand? Some of us may have, and some
of us are doing that very thing right now and just don't realize it…
Mt. 12:10a
And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered....
Mt. 12:13
Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it
forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
A withered hand… Do you have one?
When reading this account, I picture something all shriveled, discolored,
disabled, and kept from the view of others, how about you? Of what worth
is a withered hand? What can you really do with it? There is only one
thing you can do with it - get it healed! Now ladies, I know if you awakened
this morning with a withered hand, without a shadow of a doubt you would
take yourself to the emergency room for some doctoring, amen? I certainly
would! Today we are going to see how that withered hand is symbolic of
an area of suffering in our life that needs to be healed, a part that
must be taken to the Great Physician for doctoring…
Psalm 102:4
My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat
my bread.
Joel 1:12
The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree,
the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field,
are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.
Have you ever been so overwhelmed with an upsetting personal matter that
you have forgotten to eat? Has heartache ever threatened to completely
shrivel up your joy? Have you ever felt like someone trampled over you,
leaving you painfully wounded and dwindling rapidly in spirit? Do you
remember carrying your hurt around inside, trying to hide it from the
view of others like the man with the withered hand? I have! Perhaps you're
doing that very thing right now… It's just as difficult to do as trying
to function with one hand - sooner or later someone is going to notice
that you are struggling to do even the simplest of activities with such
a heavy heart! Regrettably, the church is full of withering Christians…
Mark 3:1
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which
had a withered hand.
You know, it's interesting to note that both hands were mentioned in our
main text today. Yes, the withered hand was referred to, but so also was
the fact that the other hand remained whole. That means that at one time
both hands were whole, yet something happened to the one hand which caused
it to deteriorate. It could have even been another Christian who offended
this man and hindered his efficiency… We don't really know what caused
his hand to wither, but we do know that he is at a daily disadvantage
in such condition. By this record we learn that it is possible to have
flourishing areas in our lives and areas of decay at the same time! Maybe
your ministry is flourishing, but your marriage is dwindling... Perhaps
your relationship with your husband is healthy, but your relationship
with that teenager in your home is rotting away... Possibly your relationship
with the world is prospering, but your relationship with the Lord is in
critical condition... Whatever the case may be, there is still a whole
hand and a withered hand in your life. Trouble is, we are out of balance
then! Ladies, God knows when we are not operating at our fullest potential,
even if man may not notice. Even so, our loving heavenly Father would
like to see us completely whole! Will you oppose that healing, or look
for it? God's prescription for restoration, as laid out in our main text
today, is brief yet very effective. Let's listen in on Christ's advice
to the man with the withered hand and learn how the Lord says we can reinstate
that which has withered away in our lives as well…
1.) "Stretch forth thine hand"
First, EFFORT is pictured here. We must personally exert ourselves to
be healed of our withered hand. That means we are going to have to approach
the Lord and apply His remedy for restoration! Do you trust the Great
Physician, dear lady? Christ's invitation is simple - will you accept
His help? If so, stretch forth your hand before His eyes - give Him that
withered area of your life and let Him look at it closely and tell you
how it can be made whole. No need to hide anything from the One who loves
you and has the answer to your healing. Step into God's presence and surrender
to His care!
Mark 3:3
And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
Luke 6:8
But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered
hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
In case you aren't aware of the whole story, Christ has asked this man
with the withered hand to rise up and stand forth - in the midst of the
seemingly perfect Pharisees that were against his improvement! That does
not sound like a position a handicapped individual would choose to be
in, amen? Yet our Great Physician requires us to step up to that examining
table, even if it is public. Ladies, you may also be surrounded by people
who are not in favor of your being made whole. No matter - Christ is!
You'll find time and again that people often want to use your deficiency
as a means to oppose Jesus. Fear not, they're just rebelling against God's
power in your life! He wants them to get a good look - through you - at
what He can do! Don't step out self-consciously, rise up and stand before
God with great expectation. The Lord will stand with you; you won't have
to do it alone! Yes, you and I must be willing to come out of hiding and
even suffer some persecution for being made whole in the Lord. It's the
price of excellence. If it weren't going to be good for us, the Lord wouldn't
command such a procedure! To tell the truth, your loving heavenly Father
may call upon you to face the very ones who were initially responsible
for contributing to the withering of your hand… Are you willing to come
face to face with those who have severely troubled you? It's a necessary
part of your healing and the basis for new growth in your life. Trust
the Great Physician's leadership and submit to the operation, though it
may be painful at the time. It is both for their good, and yours as well
- and for the glory of the Lord!
2.) "And he stretched it forth"
Secondly, OBEDIENCE is pictured here. Simply put, there can be no healing
in our lives apart from obedience to God and His commands! If you were
visiting the hospital for physical care, you'd do what the doctor told
you, amen? How much more ought we to be willing to obey the Lord for the
healing of our souls? Both the pain and the wounds to blame for it disappear
when we follow the Doctor's orders! Ladies, obedience brings complete
and instantaneous healing - why would you foolishly put off being made
whole?? Jesus commanded the man with the withered hand to do the very
thing he COULD NOT DO in the face of a crowd of people who cared not for
him, and he did it - he obeyed and God's power was seen through a weak
vessel's obedience! Will it be seen through your obedience, dear lady??
Our healing takes place WHEN we reach beyond ourselves to the Lord…
3.) "And it was restored whole"
God's healing is quick and complete; without a moment's hesitation we
are restored whole upon our obedience to His Word. What a blessed comfort!
When speaking to our earthly physicians, we always want to know how long
it will take to get well when medicine is prescribed for our illness.
Even then, there is no guarantee that we'll be completely better. Not
so with God - healing is instant! We don't have to wait 10-14 days for
treatment to take effect, for we have the Great Physician to heal our
souls completely and immediately! No matter how long they've been out
of commission, our withered places receive new life and circulation again.
They take on a new appearance and we are able to function at our fullest
capacity through simply learning to become fully dependent upon the Lord!
In closing, have you learned to depend upon the Savior and let the power
and Spirit of Christ flow through you? It's only a step of faith away!
The choice is yours as to whether or not you want to be restored whole.
If you don't abide in Him, you WILL remain withered and hindered as a
Christian. New life and abundant life pumping through your veins is found
in Christ alone! God's waiting room is full of patients with withered
places in their lives, and there are many explanations as to why each
part has deteriorated…
John 15:6
IF A MAN ABIDE NOT IN ME, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered;
and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Mark 4:6
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and BECAUSE IT HAD NO ROOT,
it withered away.
Luke 8:6
And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered
away, BECAUSE IT LACKED MOISTURE.
John 5:3
In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered,
WAITING FOR THE MOVING OF THE WATER.
Based on the verses above, what is your reason today for remaining withered?
The sad part is, many Christians are in God's waiting room only by choice!
Ladies, the Lord never created that waiting room, we did! He has told
us all that immediate recuperation is available - if we would just obey!
May I encourage you to step out of that waiting room today and boldly
enter the presence of God for a curing of your withered hand? Let Him
restore it like unto the other so that you can serve your heavenly Father
and others with both hands!
Psalm 143:4-6
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the
work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth
after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003
