Visible Faith

Proverbs 18:²⁴ “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (NIV).

Jesus, the Son of the Living God, is the friend who sticks closer than a brother. The Bible tells us in Luke 5:¹⁹ “…They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood…” (NLV, emphasis added). As if making a hole big enough for an adult man to be lowered through was not enough. All the debris from the drilling fell directly on Jesus, and He did not complain. Jesus took all the mess, suffered loss, and still did not complain. Jesus is indeed the friend who sticks closer than a brother. This man’s friends show us that sacrifice is at the heart of true friendship.

Another thing they teach us is that when seeking a solution, diligently pursue it, even if it means drilling through barriers. Sometimes, you will encounter barriers in your search for solutions. That is not the time to say, “Oh why, God, why is there no space? Why are there so many people everywhere? I can’t even get in!” But the roof is there, drill a hole! “Oh, that will make a lot of noise and will create a lot of dirt. Oh, I am too cute.” Make a hole in the barrier and go through it. I see you having the wisdom to make that whole in the Name of Jesus.

Luke 5:²⁰ “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (NLV, emphasis added). Jesus saw their faith and spoke to the man. Jesus did not see his faith. What am I saying? The faith of friends can free a friend. It was the faith of the friends that Jesus saw not the faith of the person who needed healing. It was the faith of the people who brought the man that Jesus saw. You will notice that this has been a recurrent theme in our restoration journey. The power of community, friendship, relationships, faith of friends, intercession (standing in the gap). I pray that God will give you real friends because the faith of friends can free a friend.

The next thing that jumps out at us is that Faith Is Visible. The Voice Translation puts it this way, “In this way, their faith was visible to Jesus…”. If you engage and interact with someone who has faith, you will know. Similarly, if you engage with someone who is filled with fear, you will know. One day, I joined the minister’s prayer meeting, and what God was saying to me pretty clearly was that “Why do people pray so much and they are still living in fear?” And I felt really burdened because I know people who pray a lot, but they are fearful people. In fact, it is the fear that drives them to pray. The more they pray, the more fearful they are. The question, is who are they praying to? The more you pray, the bolder you should become.

Prayer: Father, please bless me with the gift of Godly men and make me a blessing to everyone in my sphere of influence, in the Name of Jesus. Amen!