Bring Them to Jesus

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” -Mark 2:3-5

You can see in this passage of Scripture one of the differences between faith and hope. Four men carried this man to where Jesus was. But the building was so full that they couldn’t get him in.

Now, hope would have said, “Well, we tried, but we couldn’t get our friend to Jesus. We might as well go home.” Hope will go just so far and quit. It says, “Well, I tried that faith business, but it didn’t work.” Then it will give up and throw in the towel.

But faith won’t quit! It has tenacity. It says, “Let’s go up on the roof. We aren’t quitting now!”

Faith digs its heels in and says, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). It says, “I’m not moving! I know what the Word says. I know healing belongs to me, and I’m not going without it! I believe the Word of God. Who cares what I feel like?”

So the four men took the roof apart, probably making a big hole in it. Then they lowered the man into the room right in front of Jesus. Jesus had been teaching for some time and hadn’t yet seen a spark of faith. But now He was seeing faith come through the roof! And when Jesus saw the men’s faith, their friend was healed!

No one likes tests and trials, but that’s the atmosphere in which faith thrives. In the midst of a trial, faith has to flex its muscles and grow. Our heads may give us trouble during those hard times. But if we’re really in faith, we won’t quit!

CONFESSION:

Jesus bought and paid for my healing, and I have it by faith. I persistently walk by faith regardless of my feelings or circumstances. In Jesus’ name, I am healed!