Bible Study & Devotional Day 46
š“ A Friend Indeed
Guiding Scripture: Mark 2:4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
The tension builds as we read through the Gospel of Mark. Jesus has returned to Capernaum and faces opposition with the Pharisees. While he is preaching the Gospel, people from all over come to listen to His words. And then an unexpected plot twist. Imagine speaking the Word of God to a knowledge-hungry audience. Suddenly sounds are coming from above, and pieces of the roof are trickling down from the ceiling.
The Squad:
(Mark 12:3) Upon hearing Jesus was near, four men decided to carry a paralytic man to the only One that could change his situation. These caregivers went the extra mile by, not only getting him there but cutting out the roof to lower him inside where Jesus would ‘see’ him. I can imagine the person with paralysis looking around the crowded room as he came down from the rooftop while others looked at him in disbelief. These believers risked injury and humiliation if Jesus did not recognize their efforts. Think about the people in your inner circle.
Do you have faith-filled friends willing to go the extra mile?
Who we align ourselves with can help foster or hinder our intimate relationship with God. The paralytic had God-fearing, faithful friends. Their confidence was so strong that they cut through the roof of Peter’s house (Mark 1:29 and Mark 2:1-5) to lower him down into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. WOW!!! (Luke 5:20) Jesus saw the faith of the friends; their faith was visible.
The Others:
In contrast, we could align ourselves with those that will hinder our growth. The fault-finding religious leaders were such a group. The corrupted Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes were the authoritative resources for interpreting the law. Unfortunately, they could not handle being upstaged by the Truth. Their envy and pride were blinding. We have such people in the world today; their hearts are full of greed, jealousy, and self-loathing. No matter what good we do, they will find a way to shame us, hinder our progress, and keep us emotionally tied to their desires instead of helping us develop our God-given purposes.
Come to Jesus:
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just so that He will forgive our sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We have the right to become God’s children, to be disciplined by Him. Taking a step towards acknowledging our faults is taking action. Move away from Satan, and the life society wants you to lead. We are worthy of transformation, love, respect, forgiveness, grace, and mercy; let’s pray to accept this new identity in Christ.
Ā ~Torrie Slaughter
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This devotional was submitted by Torrie Slaughter, the founder of Our Given PurposeĀ® in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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š“ The Bible In A Year Daily Reading Plan
Leviticus 1:1-3:17, Mark 1:29-2:12 , Psalm 35:17-28 , Proverbs 9:13-18Ā
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