While waiting for a mechanic to rotate my car’s tires, I struck up a conversation with a man in the waiting area. Troy was visiting my town for a few days and had discovered that his vehicle needed repairs. After some small talk, the Holy Spirit prompted me to go deeper and I was able to express my faith in Jesus to him. We exchanged contact information, and later I received an email from Troy that contained these words: “My stay in [your city] was great, but you were the only person I heard speak of Jesus. Others spoke of their church.”

I’m so thankful I felt the freedom to speak of Jesus to Troy. That hasn’t always been my experience. With that in mind, there’s a man with whom Jesus once spoke who gives me great encouragement (John 5:5). Jesus met this struggling guy by the pool of Bethesda—a place where the “sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed” hung out and hoped to find healing (John 5:3,7).

Jesus asked the man, “Would you like to get well?” (John 5:6). The man responded by stating that he couldn’t get into—what he thought were—the healing waters of the pool when they were stirred (John 5:7). Jesus simply told him to pick up his mat and walk home (John 5:8). The “man was healed!” (John 5:9).

But the Jewish leaders saw him carrying his mat—something that was against their Sabbath laws (John 5:10). They interrogated the man and asked who had healed him, but he didn’t know. After Jesus met with him again, the man learned His name (John 5:14), and he “went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him” (John 5:15).

I love the man’s example! He simply told others about Jesus and what He had done in his life. Let’s do the same today.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Mark 6:1-13