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The whole room was full, no one could access the door, 

People had gathered inside, from the Savior they wanted to learn more, 

The sick of the palsy coming to Jesus, he was carried by four,  

They chose to pass through the roof, they were determined to the core.  

Uncovering the roof, letting down the bed that the sick man lay,  

Bringing him to Jesus, the truth, the life, and the way, 

When Jesus saw their faith, to the sick He did say,  

Son, your sins have been forgiven today.  

Go to Jesus, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 

Seek God’s love and mercy which is unending,  

When you feel weak, when your feelings are draining,  

God’s love will shower you with blessings, forever raining.  

When you see no opening, create one,  

Trust in the Lord to make a way where there is none,  

Our war is spiritual, we need no bomb, we need no gun, 

Let’s have faith in God, the eternal One.  

Mark 2:2-5 (KJV) – “² And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and He preached the Word unto them. ³ And they come unto Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. ⁴ And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” 

“This paralytic had lost all hope of recovery. His disease was the result of a sinful life, and his sufferings were embittered by remorse…. His great desire was relief from the burden of sin. He longed to see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with heaven. Then he would be content to live or to die, according to God’s will…. 

He besought his friends to carry him on his bed to Jesus, and this they gladly undertook to do. But so dense was the crowd that had assembled in and about the house where the Saviour was, that it was impossible for the sick man and his friends to reach Him…. 

Again and again the bearers of the paralytic tried to push their way through the crowd, but in vain. The sick man looked about him in unutterable anguish. How could he relinquish hope, when the longed-for help was so near? At his suggestion his friends bore him to the top of the house, and breaking up the roof, let him down at the feet of Jesus. 

The discourse was interrupted. The Saviour looked upon the mournful countenance, and saw the pleading eyes fixed upon Him. Well He knew the longing of that burdened soul. It was Christ who brought conviction to his conscience when he was yet at home…. It was Christ who had drawn the sufferer to Himself. Now, in words that fell like music on the listener’s ear, the Saviour said, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”” – Radiant Religion, Page 123, Ellen G. White.  

In Mark 2:2, the Bible says that there was no room to receive any more visitors in the house as the house was full. The people bringing the man who was sick of the palsy could not pass through the door. Therefore, they uncovered the roof. What is fascinating is that they did not give up when they did not see an opening. Instead, they uncovered the roof. This means that when they did not see an opening, they created an opening for themselves.  

We should take note that whatever material a house is built on, it is not easy to uncover a roof. Uncovering a roof requires some effort. Imagine people carrying someone on a bed all the way to a roof and still going the extra mile to uncover that roof.  

These people did not consider the heavy task that they had to do. Instead, they considered the reward that they were going to receive. They kept their eyes on the prize. Many people give up when they see that the assignment lying ahead is complex or burdensome. Therefore, they forfeit the prize that they were going to get.  

Hebrews 11:24-26 (KJV) – “²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; ²⁵ Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; ²⁶ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” 

In Hebrews 11:26 we are told that Moses had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Moses esteemed the reward more than the temporary suffering he was going to go through. He knew that the reward was worth far more than the pain he would go through.  

Success in any area in life needs such understanding. Determined school students especially those from underprivileged backgrounds usually go through a lot of suffering to study. Some put their legs in a bucket of water at night so that they do not sleep when they are studying.  

I once saw an ancient photo of an Indian student studying late at night at the University of Madras in Tamil Nadu in 1905. The photo shows the student tying his hair to the wall to prevent himself from falling asleep while studying late at night. It is said that what the student was doing was quite common among Indian students in those days.  

The following people are some of the people in this world who showed determination against all odds: 

Malala Yousafzai was a Pakistani girl who advocated for girls’ education in her region where the Taliban had banned it. She faced numerous death threats. In 2012, she was shot in the head by a Taliban shooter. Despite the life-threatening injury that Malala got, she continued her advocacy from her hospital bed and later from the United Kingdom, where she recovered. She became the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate and continues campaigning for education worldwide.  

Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary. Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for his efforts to end apartheid and bring equality to South Africa. Even in prison, Mandela continued to inspire the anti-apartheid movement. After his release, he led negotiations to dismantle apartheid and became South Africa’s first black president in 1994, promoting reconciliation and peace. 

Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist known for his work on black holes and relativity. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 21, which progressively paralyzed him. Despite his physical limitations, Hawking continued to work, communicate through a speech-generating device, and published influential scientific papers and books. He became one of the most renowned scientists of his time. 

Bethany Hamilton was a professional surfer who lost her left arm in a shark attack at the age of 13. Losing an arm posed significant challenges to her surfing career and daily life. Within a month of the attack, Hamilton returned to surfing and adapted her technique to compete with one arm. She went on to become a professional surfer, winning national competitions and inspiring millions with her story. 

Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist. In 1955, Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, during a time of intense racial segregation and discrimination. 

Rosa’s act of defiance became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, which followed her arrest, led to a Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. Parks continued to work for civil rights and social justice throughout her life. 

Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessperson. Edison faced many failures and setbacks in his attempts to invent the electric light bulb. He conducted thousands of experiments, facing repeated failure, but he persevered. His determination paid off when he successfully invented a practical and long-lasting electric light bulb, revolutionizing modern life. 

Nick Vujicic is an Australian motivational speaker born with tetra-amelia syndrome; a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Vujicic faced significant physical and emotional challenges growing up without limbs. Despite his condition, he learned to live independently and pursued a career in motivational speaking, spreading messages of hope and inspiration. He founded the nonprofit organization Life Without Limbs and has spoken to millions around the world. 

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her self-portraits and works inspired by nature and Mexican artifacts. Kahlo suffered from polio as a child and was severely injured in a bus accident at the age of 18, which caused lifelong pain and medical problems.  

Despite her physical suffering, Kahlo turned to painting, creating some of the most iconic and personal works of art. Her unique style and exploration of identity, postcolonialism, gender, and class have made her an enduring figure in art history. 

Elon Musk is a business magnate, industrial designer, and engineer. Musk faced multiple business failures and financial crises, including the near collapse of his companies SpaceX and Tesla. He persisted through financial struggles and technical setbacks. Today, SpaceX has revolutionized space travel, and Tesla has led the way in electric vehicles and sustainable energy solutions. 

Wilma Rudolph was an American sprinter who became a world-record-holding Olympic champion and international sports icon. Rudolph was born prematurely and contracted polio as a child, which left her with a paralyzed leg. Through years of physical therapy and determination, she overcame her disability. She went on to win three gold medals at the 1960 Rome Olympics, becoming the first American woman to achieve such a feat in a single Olympiad. 

Have you given up? 

Some people give up because there is no job opening in the organizations surrounding them (in their town, city, or country). Like the men who passed through the roof, if there is no opening, we should create our own opening.  

Some people give up because the medicine that they have been given by the doctors has failed to heal them. Some give up because all the advice they have been given by counsellors or relationship coaches has failed to make their relationships work.  

Some give up because they have failed in all the business ideas that they have tried to implement. They give up because the business advise they have gotten from all business books (excluding the Bible) and the best business mentors has failed to bring their efforts to fruition.  

Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” 

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is not giving up on whatever good thing that one is hoping for until they grasp it. Luke 15:4 (KJV) – “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” The shepherd who has lost one of his sheep does not give up looking for it until he finds it.  

In Mark 2:5, when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the sick man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus said this after He saw the faith of those people in their determination to bring the sick man to Him against all odds.  

Exodus 20:8 (AMP) – “Remember the Sabbath (seventh) day to keep it holy (set apart, dedicated to God).” 

Sometimes determination in faith is lost because we easily forget God. When the Sabbath is on our minds all the time, so will God be. Remembering the Sabbath does not call us to focus on the day. Instead, it calls us to focus on God. When we put our focus on God the entire week, we shall be highly productive, and we shall be ultra-determined to practice righteousness.  

Ask yourself, have you reached a point where Jesus Himself has seen your faith and has proved it?  

GOD BLESS YOU! 

Prayer 

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the lessons that I have learnt about determination. Help me to be more determined than I currently am in this faith journey. Please have mercy on me. Turn around my condition and make me to be best suited to serve and glorify you. Please help me not to give up on this faith journey and to endeavor to live a righteous life daily. Help those around me as well. In Jesus name, Amen.  

Activity 

1. Write down the people around you whom you feel sorry about their situation, and you would love to help.  

2. Ask God how best you can help them.  

3. Create a program of how you are going to help them and commit to it.  

4. Set days for personal retreats to focus on prayer, reading, and listening to God’s voice away from daily distractions. 

5. Join a small group or fellowship group to build relationships with other believers and grow together in faith. 

6. Keep a spiritual journal to record prayers, reflections, and insights from your Bible study and prayer times. 

7. Listen to and sing worship songs to uplift your spirit and focus your heart on God. 

8. Set a time each day to meditate on specific Bible verses, reflecting on their meaning, and how they apply to your life. 

Author: Mark Alex   

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