“Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man…‘Stand up.’” Mark 2:5, 11 NLT

The Bible says, “While he was preaching…four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof…Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man…‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’ And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this before!’” (vv. 2-5, 11-12 NLT). Notice the words “when Jesus saw their faith” (NKJV). Do you have faith God can see? What are you doing to show God you truly believe Him and are taking Him at His Word? It’s important to pray and believe, but you must also do something to demonstrate your faith. For the four men who carried their sick friend to Jesus, demonstrating their faith meant refusing to let the crowd get in their way or the roof stop them from getting to Jesus. Sometimes you are closest to your victory when you face your greatest obstacles or opposition. A lot of people give up too easily. You say, “I’ve tried, but nothing I have done has worked.” You must be more determined than that. If you can’t get through the crowd, climb up and come down through the roof. Be relentless. That’s what these men did, and Jesus rewarded them with a miracle. And when you are willing to demonstrate a determined faith, He can do the same for you too.

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024