“Faith moves mountains, but don’t be surprised if God hands you a shovel!”  Unknown

¹⁸ And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. ¹⁹ But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.

Luke 5:18-19 

Today we take a final look at the lives of four men whose faith, “Forged Ahead In Trustful Hope” to move mountains on behalf of their friend.  

These were men of strategy, and focus.
Some translations says; “they sought for a way to help him.”  They didn’t have all the answers right up front, but they didn’t let that stop them.  They had to search it out. 

One of the meanings for that word “sought” was to plot out a strategy as if a life depended on it.  Another meaning in the Greek means “to worship the Lord.”  They enquired and searched for an answer in the presence of God with a focus and strategy as if one’s life depended on it.

 They were Enduring.
 Their tenacious love caused them to endure the obstacles and not quit!

  (Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7

Their love and concern for the man endured the crowds, and the obstacles that would say they couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to reach Jesus.  The Bible tells us that in the last days the love of many will wax cold.  When we lose our ability to endure one for another, we have a lack of love; without love faith cannot work.

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

James 1:3 

They were possibility thinkers.
They literally took the lid of their situation.  The Bible tells us all things are possible to them that believe.   They believed if they could just get them man in Jesus presence he would be healed.  They allowed their possibility thinking to drown out the voice of the world, of the enemy and the voice from within themselves that would limit God’s ability, God’s love, and their ability to reach God and make a difference! 

Their love caused the ceiling of their faith to be removed!  Their love released the creative power of resolution into their life. God is able to make a way, when we give way in our thinking. Their love caused them to press through the crowd, then climb up over their obstacle and remove the lid that kept their answer from them.

 As you are Forging Ahead In Trustful Hope, remember that mountain moving faith has an enduring strategy, fueled by love that is willing to think outside the box “with a shovel in hand,” as it presses toward its desired goal.