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Sometimes what you’re seeking doesn’t come to you all at once. It comes in stages. During the times that are frustrating or disappointing and when you’re tired of waiting, remember that the answer IS in your future. You’ll make it. It just may come in stages or phases or degrees.
The key is you must keep making your way through each stage. How? God will give you miracles to make that happen.
One of the greatest examples of this in the Bible is about four men. We aren’t told much about them except we know they had compassion and determination. We know this because there was a paralyzed man in their region and they wanted to see him made well.
So when the Man Jesus showed up in Capernaum, after performing miracles other places, they made a decision to get their friend to Him so he could be healed. That’s always the first step. You believe you can see something done about your problem or conditions or desire. You get a vision of possible success. So you’re going for it. You get this rush of feeling that you will get there. That’s the first stage.
So these four men who were filled with eagerness and passion, just as we can be, put their friend on a stretcher and walked to the home where Jesus was. But everybody else had heard He was in town also. People had come from almost every village in Galilee and Judea. That meant the place was packed, and He was in the center of the home, teaching.
We’re not talking about a crowd where you can kind of squeeze your way in and make your way to where you want to be. There wasn’t any room. Plus, these men had a man on a stretcher so they would take up too much room to be able to get in. Before arriving they had seen success in front of them. Now that they were there would they see failure?
When we come to the stage that our eagerness and belief start to get somewhat pushed down, we have to make a choice. Do we still believe we will get there? Can we see our success in front of us in spite of how conditions appear? And very important: will we do what it takes to see it come about?
These four men answered yes to all of those. They believed they were getting there. They could see their success in front of them, and they would do whatever it took. So forget the crowd on the first floor. They took the stairs up to the rooftop. Because of the way the homes were built back then, they weren’t on a steep roof that was made from wooden tiles which can’t be penetrated. It was flat enough and was made from material so they could dig a hole. Not just a tiny one that they could get a peek at Jesus. But they made a big enough one so they could put their friend on his stretcher and lower him down into the very room where the Master was.
Now by this time in His ministry, Jesus has seen faith operate. He has seen people who believed in His power and what God could do. But the Bible says He was impressed by their belief that was bold.
So after He forgave the man’s sins, He spoke to him and said, Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home. He didn’t have to say it twice. The paralyzed man was ready! He knew he was in the presence of the Master who could heal. He picked up his bed and walked out of there.
That says to me that even though the crowd was so bad he couldn’t get in before, now they were making way for him. No more could he not get there because he was paralyzed on a mat. He was walking by himself, and he walked right through the crowd. They parted so the MIRACLE could walk past them. They had never seen anything such as that.
The interesting thing is we never hear another word about the four men who were still on the rooftop. After they saw that happen, I’m sure they rushed down to greet their friend as soon as he walked out the front door. Success was right in front of them.
They had been faithful in each stage of getting their friend a miracle. They were probably embracing and smiling and rejoicing and praising God. Before, four men walked to that house, now five men walked away from it. All because they knew they would get there. (Ref. Luke 5:17-26 and Mark 2:1-12 MSG.)
Can you see it? Or are you having a problem seeing success in front of you? Does it seem instead it’s a failure? Or do you have bold believing?
Believe victory is coming to you. The answer may come in stages, but you’re dedicated. You’ll get there. Nothing is going to stop you. Not even delays. Success may come in stages, but it will come!
Spiritual Powerline to say out loud:
“I’M GETTING THERE!”
Here is a powerful prayer to say out loud:
Father, I won’t stop moving forward because I know my answer is in my future. It’s there. I may be getting there in stages, but I’LL GET THERE. That’s because I believe Your Word to me, and I will receive a miracle at each stage until the answer shows up. I praise You for this. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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