Thoughts in Worship
Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, October 27, 2018
Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-10-27-2018
This is devotional thought number 19 in our devotional series titled, “O For a Faith That Will Not Shrink.”
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mark 2:5).
As Jesus preached the word of the kingdom to many onlookers, suddenly the roof above where He was preaching was broken up. In the middle of Jesus’ sermon, a paralyzed man was let down by four of his friends and laid at His feet. I do not know how long this man suffered. Neither do I know how long he searched for an opportunity to meet Jesus face-to-face. One thing is sure; he and his friends were persistent and faithful. When they saw that there was no way to approach Jesus through the door because of the crowd, their faith and desperation inspired their creativity. The friends let him down through the roof.
Did Jesus respond to this disturbance by scolding them for interrupting his sermon? What better time could there have been to demonstrate the loving benevolence He preached about? Jesus replied as anyone full of love would. He chose to relieve the man's suffering.
Have you ever been so burdened by guilt that you felt paralyzed? Instead of praying and soliciting prayers, have you just laid on your bed of doubt? Learn a lesson from the paralytic. God is never too busy to bring you relief. When the incapacitating disease of self-pity and guilt press you to the ground, look up and see the gentle, loving Jesus prepared to make you whole.
Jesus responded to the faith of the man by forgiving him and healing his paralysis. There is no sin too great for Jesus to forgive when, in faith, we diligently seek Him.
If we are to develop a shrink-resistant faith that will not fail when tested, we must not let anyone or anything get between us and our God.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)