Desperate Faith
"When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." Mark 2:5
The crowd surrounding the house where Jesus taught was so thick, that these four friends could not get the paralyzed friend close to Jesus. Instead of being deterred, their faith moved them to action. They were desperate to get their friend to the One who could do for him what no mere man could do. So they climbed up on the roof, hoisted their friend up with them, and then began to tear the roof apart. They literally began to remove the roof. All this while Jesus was in the middle of a Bible study mind you. After making a sufficient opening, they lowered their paralyzed friend down to Jesus.
What happened next is key to us understanding what moves the heart of God. Jesus "saw their faith" and healed the man inside and out. He first forgave him of his sins, and then forged for him new limbs! This shows us that man's greatest need is first spiritual and then physical. God works from the inside out!
But this incident begs at the question:
Q: What kind of faith does God respond to?
A: Desperate faith
Jesus looked upon the faith of these men that lead to such incredible action and responded. He saw in them a heart to help their friend that would not be denied. Sometimes God allows us to get in desperate situations because He knows it will stir in us action that is beyond the norm. God loves to see humble faith that demonstrates a desperate faith in action. In fact the best place to be is a place where our only option left is God. For when we are weak, then we allow Him to be strong in our lives.
If you are in a desperate situation right now, get excited because God is using it to turn your eyes on Him and turn your faith up a few notches. I have found that being in a desperate situation is hard, but valuable. Our flesh hates it, but our spirit can thrive on it. Desperate people do desperate things. May you tear the roof off of your situation! May it prompt you to think outside the box. May you reach out to God with a humble, hungry, desperate faith. God will meet you then and there!
Today's prayer thought: "Lord help me to see my challenges as an opportunity to exercise my faith."