January 5th, 2026. The Book of John, chapter 5. Morning devotional
- Dustin Gay
- Jan 5
- 2 min read
Morning Devotional — John 5
Theme: Rise Up, Respond, and Walk
Scripture (John 5:6–9, NKJV)
“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’
The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’
And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.”
Devotional
John 5 takes us to the pool of Bethesda—a place crowded with need, disappointment, and long waiting. There’s a man there who has been stuck for thirty-eight years. That’s not just a long time physically—it’s a long time emotionally. Long enough for hope to thin out. Long enough for excuses to feel reasonable. Long enough for life to shrink down to survival.
Then Jesus steps in and asks a question that hits deeper than it sounds: “Do you want to be made well?”
Not “Do you want to feel better?” but “Do you really want change?” Because healing isn’t only about the miracle—it’s about the response. Jesus is inviting this man to come out of a story he’s been living: “I can’t… I don’t have… someone else always…”
The man answers with an explanation. Jesus answers with a command: “Rise… take up your bed… and walk.”
In other words: Stand up in faith. Pick up what used to carry you. And step forward into new life.
Sometimes Jesus heals us instantly. Sometimes He heals us through a process. But either way, the call is the same: respond to His voice. Your “bed” may be a pattern, a fear, a bitterness, a regret, a habit, a mindset—something you’ve laid on so long it feels normal. But Jesus doesn’t just want to comfort you in it—He wants to lift you out of it.
Practical application (for today)
Ask yourself honestly: What have I been stuck in for a long time?
Identify your “Bethesda excuse” (the reason you’ve told yourself you can’t change).
Take one “rise and walk” step today:
forgive one person
confess one sin
make one call
set one boundary
restart one discipline (prayer, Scripture, sleep, accountability)
Lord Jesus, You see me fully, including the places I’ve been stuck for a long time. I bring You my weakness, my disappointment, and my excuses. Speak Your Word over my life today. Help me respond with faith and obedience. Teach me to rise, to carry what used to carry me, and to walk in the new life You’ve given. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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