Bible Reference: Mark 2: 1-5, Mark 5:25-34
On Tuesday on my way to work, a street preacher asked that we pray that we’ll not fail anyone whose salvation depends on our physical effort. I subconsciously started praying and it occurred to me that most times we fail ourselves and others by underestimating the power of our physical (faith) efforts.
The characters in our texts moved against all limitations and boundaries to get the savior’s attention by using physical effort which Jesus called faith. Their faith was demonstrated by their physical effort, for faith without works is dead. Neither will you see a man who had faith and does nothing.
There are a few point I’ll love to note from our texts.
- It is you who sets your limit:
If the cripple man in Mark 2:1-5 was left with some other persons, he would have gone back home cripple the moment they couldn’t get through the door. However, it’s you who sets the limit, the door can only keep you out if you allow it. I can’t stop to imagine how hard it must have been for those guys to carry another man up the roof, break the roof and then drop him in front of Jesus, it can only be the tenacity that comes from faith. When it comes to how far you can go, you call the shot.
- You must unlearn your limitations :
Limitations are learnt over time. As we grow we learn that we can’t do something. Just as you learn limitations, you have to unlearn them by confronting them, no one is going to save a space for you at the door, you might have to push through like the woman with the issue of blood or use the roof like the cripple man in our text, but you must not succumb to limitations. If you can’t carry your “cripple” through the door, carry it up the roof. By all (faith) means, get inside.
- Men are God’s method :
It is true that when it comes to confronting some limitations on our way to fulfilling destiny or getting a miracle, men are instrumental. The man at the pool of Bethesda waited for 38years because he had no man to help him into the water whenever it’s stirred. I must however note that it’s not enough to have just any body around you. In fact, having some persons in our lives is a limitation in itself for example: Blind Bartimaeus had people who told him to keep quiet when he heard that Jesus was passing, the centurions family in Mark 5:36 told him not to bother Jesus because he’s daughter was dead. They refused and got their miracles.
- Placing a limitation on what you can do is placing a limitation on what God will do:
For most persons, limitations are signs that Jesus is not in the building. When they encounter difficulty in executing an idea, or no one one is willing to invest and the door is blocked, they give up and carry their cripple back home. But when you give up, you have limited your faith efforts and also limited your faith result. King Joash in 2kings 13:18-19 shot the arrow thrice and overcame just thrice. He limited his faith effort and limited his victory.
- Your limitation in the right perspective is an advantage:
The woman in Mark 5:25 had the issue of blood, am sure people were forced to move out of the way because of her condition and that helped her get so close that she was able to touch Jesus. Because the door was blocked the cripple man was dropped through the roof right in front of Jesus, Probably if he had used the door he won’t have gotten that close. As we unlearn our limitations we must learn our advantages, most times they are the excuses we’ve had for so long. If you’ll look closely, you’ll discover that.
YOUR ADVANTAGE IS HIDDEN WITHIN YOUR LIMITATION.
Finally,
There are some persons whose salvation of soul depends on our physical effort. There are some persons you must literarily carry through the roof to Jesus, carry them in prayers and fasting, carry them in love, carry them in preaching and giving. like Paul we must travail until Christ is formed in them. The man in our text was not just healed from his disease his sins were also forgiven because against all odds some people brought him to Jesus.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:14
God is waiting to bless your faith effort.
In Conclusion,
I made a decision years ago that no one will pass through my social media pages to hell, I am praying for you but this is an opportunity to make things right with your maker, if you’ve not accepted Jesus as your lord and savior this is a good day to.
Please say, lord Jesus I accept that I am a sinner and I need a savior, I accept your sacrifice on the cross for me, I confess my sin and accept your forgiveness, help me to live for you and to bring others in Jesus name …Amen.
Congratulations 🎉 if you said this prayer. God bless you.
The lord bless the word he has spoken over us today, in Jesus name. Thank you so much I’ll see you next week.
Written by Blessing Fadipe Eliezra
