The Right Outcome

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If you want the right outcome, the right position and the right action are vital.

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Mark 3:5 – And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

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I don’t know of any sane person who is not interested in having a right outcome; not just a good one, but the right one.  in the story we examine through our Text for Today.  We’ve already looked at the necessity of the right position.  It is whatever God calls upon you to do and the place He expects you to be.  We’ve also looked at the right action, and that in two arenas.  First, the action of the believer to walk in obedience to that which the Word prescribes, and second, the action the Lord takes, knowing we can fully embrace the truth that any action He takes will surely be the right action. 

It is that which brings us to the right outcome.  Do you recall when Peter walked on the water to come to Jesus.  He was in the right position (out of the boat and on the water), and he was taking the right action (walking on the water to go to Jesus).  Because of that, even though Peter let his eyes stray from Jesus, when he cried out for Jesus to help him after he began to sink, Jesus was faithful to perform the right action at that moment, precisely when it was needed.  He reached out and took Peter by the hand, raising him up from sinking, and walking, along with Peter, back to the boat from which Peter came.  That was the right outcome.

For the man in our story for today, he, too, was blessed with the right outcome.  He was in the right position.  He had been in a place in the tabernacle to hear the instruction of Jesus to, “Stand forth.”  Herein are two important points.  Jesus wanted the man in a position to be seen, and He wanted the man to stand, indicating an attitude of victory over his circumstances, even before he could see it.  With the obedience of the man, Jesus took the right action.  He exposed the evil of the darkness, pointed to the righteousness of the light, both of which set Him in position to produce the right outcome.  And there, too, we see response from the man.  His hand was withered.  Jesus told him to “Stretch forth thine hand.”  And he did what he was told, producing an outcome of the finest sort.  His withered hand was made whole like his other hand.  With the aim being right outcome, both right position and right action need to be in place.

Manna for Today – Mark 3:1-5; Acts 10:38; 1 John 5:3; Hebrews 11:1 & 6; Galatians 5:6; Isaiah 1:19;     3 John 2; Psalm 84:11; 1 Corinthians 14:40