Total Eclipse

I got up this morning and these lyrics were in my head,

Turnaround
Every now and then I get a little bit lonely
And you're never coming round
Turnaround
Every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears
Turnaround
Every now and then I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by
Turnaround
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes
Turnaround bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
Turnaround bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you'll only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark

This is an old song from the 80's  by Bonnie Tyler called, "Total Eclipse of the Heart".  As these lyrics were in my head I began to think about in terms of my relationship with Jesus and all the times, as the song says, that I've fallen apart, all my tears, all the times I've been terrified and how much those times have shown me my need for Jesus.  It brought me a comforting peace to think about how Jesus has been the only one that has set me free from so much captivity.  Jesus' love is like a shadow on me all of the time!

John chapter 5:1-9 says this:

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.  In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.  One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”  The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”  Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”  And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

It says here there were many who were blind, lame, and paralyzed lying on mats.  And one had been an invalid for 38 yrs.  I'm just wondering if there's anyone reading this who has been lying on their own mat- blind, crippled, or paralyzed for 38 years.  Crippled by fear, crippled by anxiety, crippled by depression, crippled by insecurity, crippled by an unstable identity, crippled by wounds, crippled by a wall of protection you've put up, or crippled by your need for control.  The list could go on.

Jesus saw the disabled man lying there and knew that he had been there a long time. Have you been living a long time crippled?  You can be sure that Jesus sees you too.  He also knows exactly how long it's been crippling and paralyzing you, and He has compassion on you.  

The man says to Jesus that he's been trying to get healed by getting himself into the pool, but it just never works.  How much is that like us?  How many times do we keep trying by ourselves get healed?  Thinking we can do it on our own.  We think we know what will help us.  We lie on our mats hoping that someone or something will come along and help us into the pool.  Maybe it's the right person, the right circumstances, or the right job you're putting your hope in to get you up off of your mat.  The truth is those are all false hopes.   We can't get off the mat on our own. 

In those moments of my life Jesus has said to me, 

"Turnaround".  

While you're lonely, tired, crying, nervous, thinking all your best years have gone by, terrified, and falling apart.  

Jesus says "Turnaround."  

And when you turn around to see Jesus there he'll ask you as he asked the disabled man, 

"Do you want to be healed?"  

If you do...put your hope in Jesus Christ.  Jesus came to set the captive free.  Freedom sits and waits in Jesus and Jesus ONLY.  

And then get up, take up your mat, and walk...Walk with hope and peace in Jesus to free you and heal you from what keeps crippling you!  In my life it's been a process, but the key is keeping your hope always on Jesus.

Jesus Christ knows your name.  He knows your life.  He sees your captivity.  He died and was resurrected to new life, so that you too could die to sin and be transformed to new life in Him.  

Part of the definition of eclipse said this- the period of time during which such a phenomenon occurs, an overshadowing.  My prayer is that you will let Jesus do such a phenomenon in your heart and life, that as He overshadows you, a total eclipse of your heart takes place...and you get up off your mat walking freely with the peace of Christ ruling in your heart!