Day 25 of 30: Moved By Faith - Not Circumstances!

Jesus, in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, sees a man with a withered hand. After healing this man, knowing the Pharisees were plotting to against him, withdrew to the sea with His disciples.  

A great multitude, a huge crowd from cities all around, followed after him.  They had heard the testimonies, reports, of Jesus and they wanted to see for themselves.  Testimonies of healing by Jesus had spread and now everyone who needed healing and deliverance was pushing and shoving, pressing in, to get near enough to Jesus to touch him for healing.  Jesus cured all of them.

(Read the account in Mark 3:1-5 and Matthew 12:8-13) 

*What can we glean from this account?  

Following Jesus is not enough. Coming into the presence of Jesus is not enough.  We must press in and touch Him.

How many believers attend church several times a month?  They are believers,  Christians, following Jesus.  This is not in question.  However, they have not moved beyond following Him.


How many Christians attend church every Sunday?  Maybe the even read a daily devotional centering around a scripture or two with an tidbit of life application for 10 minutes a day, and say their prayers before going to bed at night.  They go to Him and see Him.  Yet, they still have not moved beyond standing in the crowd and watching Jesus.  

We must PRESS IN AND TOUCH HIM.  When this happens faith is put into action, mountains move, and lives are changed.  

Followers can attend church for 20 years and remain sick or poor.  Watching on the sidelines places the blessing and all that is yours before you, making you aware of what you can have.  But, it is pressing in and touching him, the action of taking what is yours that will make real changes in your life.  It is putting your faith to work.  

God is moved by your faith in action, not by your circumstances.  

Once you are in love with Jesus so much, that you are truly focused on Him, and Him alone.  Through that love, your faith begins to move and take action.

Begin to press in, pushing and shoving to reach Jesus and touch Him.  

In this place mountains move, and all that He did on the cross for you, and all that follows the cross, after He rose again, becomes reality in your life.

* Today's posting was inspired by Rachele Coello.




Today's passages: 

Mar 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
Mar 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
Mar 3:3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
Mar 3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
Mar 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Mat 12:9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
Mat 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
Mat 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
Mat 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Mat 12:13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.