By Charlene Kidd
“Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Mark 2:3-5 (NIV)
Having a background in the medical field, I know first-hand how a stretcher is used to carry someone where they need to go. However, my understanding of this was expanded recently while on a trip to Ecuador with some of the Proverbs 31 Speaker Team and the Compassion International ministry.
One of our Compassion hosts, Rich, gave a message on this passage from Mark in a small, poor Ecuadorian church that sat on a rural hillside surrounded by three volcanoes. He talked about the faith of the paralytic’s friends and the tenacity they showed in getting their friend to the feet of Jesus. They overcame some seemingly insurmountable odds to get the paralytic in the building – including carrying him there, lifting him onto the roof, digging a hole in the ceiling of someone’s home, and then lowering him down into the crowd!
The paralytic could not get himself where he needed to go. He had to rely on his friends. Those friends were willing to do whatever it took to accomplish the goal of getting the man to Jesus. I was struck by this thought. How many people do I know or come across each day that need to get to the feet of Jesus, but for whatever reason (fear, insecurity, depression) cannot seem to make it?
I know how to sit at the feet of Jesus. Why then would I not use my faith to be a “stretcher carrier for Christ?” I want to be purposeful today in bringing the hurting ones I encounter into a place of peace and healing at the feet of Jesus.
Dear Lord, I ask that you open the eyes of my heart to see the people around me that You want me to be a “stretcher carrier” for. I pray that I would hear Your Holy Spirit prompting me, and then be obedient to reach out to them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
To read more and see pictures of the P31 team’s trip to Ecuador, visit our Love in Action blog
P31 Woman magazine
Visit Charlene Kidd’s blog
Application Steps:
Make a list of three people that need to be carried to the feet of Jesus and pray for them now.
Reflections:
In what ways can I “carry someone’s stretcher?”
Who “carried the stretcher” for me?
Power Verses:
Mark 6:54-56, “The people recognized Jesus at once, and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.” (NLT)
John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (NLT)
“Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Mark 2:3-5 (NIV)
Having a background in the medical field, I know first-hand how a stretcher is used to carry someone where they need to go. However, my understanding of this was expanded recently while on a trip to Ecuador with some of the Proverbs 31 Speaker Team and the Compassion International ministry.
One of our Compassion hosts, Rich, gave a message on this passage from Mark in a small, poor Ecuadorian church that sat on a rural hillside surrounded by three volcanoes. He talked about the faith of the paralytic’s friends and the tenacity they showed in getting their friend to the feet of Jesus. They overcame some seemingly insurmountable odds to get the paralytic in the building – including carrying him there, lifting him onto the roof, digging a hole in the ceiling of someone’s home, and then lowering him down into the crowd!
The paralytic could not get himself where he needed to go. He had to rely on his friends. Those friends were willing to do whatever it took to accomplish the goal of getting the man to Jesus. I was struck by this thought. How many people do I know or come across each day that need to get to the feet of Jesus, but for whatever reason (fear, insecurity, depression) cannot seem to make it?
I know how to sit at the feet of Jesus. Why then would I not use my faith to be a “stretcher carrier for Christ?” I want to be purposeful today in bringing the hurting ones I encounter into a place of peace and healing at the feet of Jesus.
Dear Lord, I ask that you open the eyes of my heart to see the people around me that You want me to be a “stretcher carrier” for. I pray that I would hear Your Holy Spirit prompting me, and then be obedient to reach out to them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
To read more and see pictures of the P31 team’s trip to Ecuador, visit our Love in Action blog
P31 Woman magazine
Visit Charlene Kidd’s blog
Application Steps:
Make a list of three people that need to be carried to the feet of Jesus and pray for them now.
Reflections:
In what ways can I “carry someone’s stretcher?”
Who “carried the stretcher” for me?
Power Verses:
Mark 6:54-56, “The people recognized Jesus at once, and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.” (NLT)
John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (NLT)
4 Comments:
Knowing God is the greatest thing ever and Wow! this devotion today has made me read that verse differently. I want to be a strecher and be a friend that is there to lift my friends/passers-by to God when they are in need for I have tasted what it is like to be at Christ's feet.
God's Blessings on this revelation.
If the four friends had had a car, they would have driven the lame man. I can do that. But the four friends went even farther than that. They had to carry him to the roof, make a hole in the roof ,then let him down thru the roof which was a lot of work. Lord, help me to be willing to work like that to bring my friends to Jesus.
"Stretcher Carrier for Christ" Amazing! Like the woman pouring the alabastar perfume... it's good to be at Christ's feet! I want to have good friends like them and become a "Stretcher Carrier for Christ"
Thank you for being a supporter of Compassion. Are you aware of the Compassion blog yet?
http://blog.compassion.com
Post a Comment
Home