Lower Your Mat Before Him

Thistlebend Quiet eMoment

by Laurie Aker

Focus Scripture: Luke 5:17-26 ESV

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees  
and teachers of the law were sitting there.
They had come from every village of Galilee  
and from Judea and Jerusalem.
And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.  
18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat  
and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.
19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd,
they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat  
through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.  
20 When Jesus saw their faith,  
he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.  
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking  
to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy?
Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked,  
“Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?  
23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  
24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority
on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man,  
“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”  
25 Immediately he stood up in front of them,  
took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.  
26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.
They were filled with awe and said,  
“We have seen remarkable things today.”
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We need the power of the Lord!
There is no healing apart from Him.
We can so easily forget that He holds the world in His hands.
Only He can open the gates of heaven,
only He can open our eyes,
only He can unlock our ears,
only He can make the lame to walk
and only He can raise the dead.

We can pray faithfully and continually
but only God can answer.
We cry out to him day and night, night and day
seeking rescue, relief, or resolution.
Sometimes He answers swiftly,
but other times we are met with silence,
seemingly endless silence without answer.
It is not our will that needs to be done.
It is His will that must be done.
It is His mighty power alone that can save.
In His perfect time.
In His perfect love.

He does according to His will in heaven and on earth
and no one can stay His hand (cf. Daniel 4:35).
Our hearts cry out from within
“How long O Lord, how long?” (cf. Psalm 13:1).
How long have you been waiting, crying out to Him?
How weary are you with your moaning?
Listen to the psalmist’s plea.

Psalm 6:1-10

1 O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O LORD– how long?
4 Turn, O LORD, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will give you praise?
6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eye wastes away because of grief;
it grows weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The LORD has heard my plea;
the LORD accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

TAKING GOD’S WORD TO HEART

We all need the power the Lord!
We must remind ourselves that there is no power apart from Him.
We so easily forget. We fret, we run, we moan.
But we must put our faith in Him and in His power.

We must carry our mat of prayer to Him.
Climb to the roof,
lower it down,
and place it before Him.

He does hold the whole world in His hands.
We must look to Him.
He alone can open the gates of heaven.
He alone can rescue and deliver.
He alone can make the lame to walk.

MEDITATE or MEMORIZE

Write out the following passage from Luke 5 and recite it 3 times.
Take it with you throughout the day.

23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  
24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority
on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man,  
“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”  
25 Immediately he stood up in front of them,  
took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.   

PRAYER

Lord God, I lift up to you the cares and concerns
of my heart.  Please come quickly to my aid!

In His hands for His glory,

Laurie
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