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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 your bed, and walk.
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Today’s message
God likes to act in places where His presence is clearly manifested. It was like that at the Pool of Bethesda. That man had been lying there for 38 years, at the address of miracles, but without anyone beside him to push him when the water stirred. I look at him and think: it’s not enough to be in the right environment; I need to go with the right people and stay until the end. It’s hard to admit, but many people miss what God has prepared because of distractions and hasty companions.
Look at the dialogue: Jesus asks if he wants to be healed; he responds with an excuse — "I have no one." The pain is real, but the conclusion is clear: lack of the right people paralyzes. Throughout the Bible, when someone exposes themselves to the environment of God, something happens. Hannah went up to Shiloh to seek an answer. Jacob, at Bethel, saw heaven open. Environment matters. People matter. When Jesus arrived, He brought the right environment and the right person, and the miracle reached that man.
Decisions I want to call you to make
- Attend environments where God usually manifests with power and word.
- Choose companions that do not distract, delay, and push you towards the miracle.
- Stay until the end — do not leave during the "ten minutes" that change destinies.
expose yourself to environments where God likes to manifest and be careful with who goes with you to those places
I learned this the hard way. I received words that changed my course because someone insisted I stay. I have also taken my child from the hallway to return to the moment of prayer. This is the attitude: protect the moment when God speaks. There are dear friends who, without malice, pull you out just when the water stirs. Thank them for their care, but keep your priority: to hear God and obey.
Signs of the Right People by Your Side
- They do not compete with the presence; they cooperate with what God is doing.
- They hold your agenda and your arm when haste wants to steal the blessing.
- They celebrate what God gives you and, if necessary, "throw you into the pool."
- They value the Word — they wait, pray, and stay until the last sentence.
Today, align your map and your table. Map: where you will seek God. Table: with whom you will sit and walk. Expose yourself to spiritual environments and ask the Lord to select your companions. He does not leave it for tomorrow; He does it today. If you are in the right place, with the right people, Jesus’ question — "Do you want?" — will find a simple answer: I want. And you will get up.
Did you know
- Bethesda was near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem; excavations revealed two large pools with five porches, as John describes.
- Shiloh was the site of the tabernacle for centuries in the days of the judges; there Hannah prayed and received the promise of Samuel.
- Bethel means House of God; there Jacob had the vision of the ladder with angels ascending and descending.
Key phrases
- the first condition for you to receive the miracle is to be in an environment where these things happen
- God can find you wherever He wants, but it is much simpler in an environment where He is usually already manifesting
- it is possible for you to be in the right environment, but with the wrong people
- the environments and the people around me determine my level of spiritual life
Translated from the Portuguese original.
Seek
To seek today
Go deeper
Go deeper
ENVIRONMENTS THAT CHANGE YOUR LIFE | TIAGO BRUNET
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