John 5:2-4 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

Have you ever been on a long trip and had to rush to a gas station suddenly only to find a sign that says “Out of Service”? Need I say more?

Here in John 5 we are looking at this pool in which a “great multitude” of the sick, dying and infirmed, if not infected, come to get into that pool for healing. We pay attention to the afflicted, we pay attention to the angel who troubled the waters, we pay attention to Jesus and the miracle He did there.

Did you ever give thought to the fact that the pool was “in service”?

Who cleaned the pool? Who disinfected the pool? Who replaced the tainted water with clean water? I can find nothing within the scriptures which indicate who kept the pool “in service”.

Even the secular writings and implicated uses and naming of this pool when the city was under Roman rule do not indicate any maintenance of the pool itself.

Such is the condition of many aspects of modern day church facilities. They just mysteriously if not miraculously remain in service until something happens and they go “Out of Service”. Then it becomes all to plain who is responsible for servicing the “pool”.

The fact that nothing is known about those who serviced the pool is often reflected in modern church service. The humble servant sits back, out of the way, out of the spotlight. But let one speaker start screaming feedback during the sermon and then everyone knows where to turn.

Thank the Lord for a servant’s heart, in service.

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

I was giving testimony to a small group last night and I caught myself being carried away in this giddy delight that might seem uncomely to someone of my age. I hope it came off sincere but my delight is in the Word and when I spoke about the desires of my heart I was taken back to a young age of first love and enthusiasm which demonstrates a lack of control.

It doesn’t sound very convincing to say simply “I love it.” It might look undignified for a man of my age to act giddy but I really didn’t stop to think about how it might look. I felt young again.

I know I should be getting serious here and speak to the mistakes that some make in asking for the desires of the heart, but I just did explain the desires of the heart that takes delight in the Lord.

I hear people ask for the desires of their hearts and it is more like gimme gold or gimme fame or gimme chocolate. I use the slang gimme to try and invoke the image of gimme, gimme, gimme, because when we hear it, selfishness is easier to see in that request. It is an immature person that takes pleasure in pleasing self.

A mature person who takes delight in the Lord will find that their heart desires what the Lord desires. My delight in the Word reveals to me what the Lord desires and in that I find my heart changes to desire what the Lord takes delight in, His people.

So I pray that my desire for you be delight in the Lord. Be filled with His joy.