Pick Up Your Mat and Walk - Part 1 THE LEAP OF FAITH

April 25th, 2025
by Nadia Gross

What we place our faith in can slave us or set us free...

_{Pick Up Your Mat and Walk}
^{_{John 5:1–14 | A Devotional Reflection}}

Do You Want to Get Well?

Jesus asked a man a profound question: "Do you want to get well?"

It sounds like a simple question. Most of us would answer, "Of course I do."
But if we’re honest, how often do we respond with something like:

I want to, but no one helps me.
I want to, but I had a troubled childhood.
I want to, but I have a past.
I want to, but I feel all alone.
I could if I just had more support, more resources, or more confidence

At the pool of Bethesda, a man had been lying on his mat for 38 years.He was holding onto a hope that if he could just get into the water when it stirred, he would be healed.

But when Jesus asked him, "Do you want to get well?" — the man didn’t say yes.
Instead, he offered all the reasons why he couldn’t be healed.

No one is helping me.
I can't get there in time.
Others always get there first.

The man was placing his faith in something that had no power to heal—a tradition, a myth, a hope that fell short of the glory and power of God.

When We Place Our Hope in the Wrong Things

How often do we still do the same today?

We turn to relationships to fix our brokenness.
We numb our pain with distractions — social media, TV, alcohol.
We chase approval through achievement or people-pleasing.
We mask the pain with comforts and worldly pleasures — substances, sex, money.

Only to come up empty-handed, still waiting for the truth that satisfies our souls.

But here’s the truth:

None of those things can heal what only Jesus has the power to heal.
Nothing in this world can truly fill an empty heart.
Because man does not live on bread alone—

We are made to feed our souls on the love and the Word of Jesus Christ.

A Simple Step That Changed A Life

With full authority and power, Jesus gave the man a life-changing command:

"Get up. Pick up your mat. And walk!"

He didn’t ask for an explanation.
He didn’t offer a strategy for self-improvement.
He simply called him to trust and obey.

The miracle didn’t happen when the man explained his obstacles.
The miracle happened when he trusted Jesus and obeyed.

What the Mat Represents

1. The Mat Represents the Past
It was where the man lived his broken life—stuck and defined by defeat.
Picking it up meant he didn’t need it anymore. Jesus declared:
"You are no longer identified by what once held you down."

2. The Mat Symbolizes Comfort Zones and Excuses
Even if painful, the mat was familiar.
Sometimes we cling to the known rather than stepping into the healing God is offering.

3. The Mat Was a Sign of Obedience and Healing
Picking up the mat required trust. It was an outward response to an inward miracle.

4. The Mat Became a Testimony to Others
The mat that once symbolized brokenness became a testimony to the healing power of Jesus.

So What’s Your Mat?

The mat represented everything that had once defined the man—his comfort zone, his broken identity, his old life.

So let me ask you: What’s your mat?

Is it your past?
Your childhood or your parents?
Your pain?
Your need to control?
Your fear of trusting again?
Your fear of rejection?
Other people's opinions?

Jesus is still saying today:
"Pick it up. Trust Me. Follow Me. Walk with Me. You don’t need that mat anymore."

For Some, Picking Up Your Mat Might Look Like This:

Trusting God when the road is uncertain.

Praying with a faith that doesn’t shake when the ground does.
Believing in the unseen when everything visible says otherwise.
Facing your deepest fears—and still choosing to trust His plan, His goodness, and His timing.
Having confidence in His purpose, even when you don't understand it.
Believing that His grace is for you too.
Trusting that His mercy reaches even here.
Resting in the truth that His love is still enough, even after everything.

Choose to Trust Jesus in Your Suffering. Whatever your mat looks like today, trust that His power can meet you there.

You Have Been Made Worthy...

To all who believe, He has already established you worth through His love and His grace. He proved it once and for all when He paid the price and died on the cross for you!—He established forever that you are valuable and loved above all. Jesus is the way, the light and the truth that empowers our every step.

His Invitation Still Stands...

Jesus is still saying:

"Believe in Me. Pick up your mat. Walk with Me. Follow Me—and I will give you new life."

I will not go back.
I will rise up.
I will pick up my mat.
And I will walk with Jesus.

Prayer: A Prayer to Walk Forward in New Life

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for seeing me, loving me, and healing the broken places in my life.
Thank You for meeting me with grace even when I’ve made excuses, blamed others, or stayed stuck.
Jesus, help me to walk in the newness of life You have given me.
Help me to leave behind what once defined me—fear, shame, pride, bitterness—and walk in freedom.
Strengthen me to walk boldly, carrying my testimony with hope.
Let my life be a living witness of Your healing, Your goodness, and Your unfailing love.
I trust You.
I choose You.
I will follow You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.