On this last day of 2021, like yesterday, we’re going to look at the past…but in a much different way. In this Scripture Jesus is talking to a paralytic that had been carried to Him by friends. In this setting, no doubt, all the disciples were witness to this miracle as the man got up, threw his mat over his shoulder, and walked away healed. For we see Peter in Acts 9:34 speaking to longtime paralytic in the same manner…but with one big difference. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat. Immediately Aeneas got up.” Peter knew where the healing power came from. But in both Scriptures Jesus and Peter tell the paralytics to pick up their mats and go home…not to leave them behind, or burn them…but to take them home. Their mats represented their past…as dirty, nasty, and stinky as they might be, they were still their past – their irrefutable testimony of what Jesus did in their lives. But so often as we heal and move on from our past, our mat gets put in the closet…away out of sight. The plain truth is we don’t want to be reminded and we think no one else would want to hear our testimony…but I would ask you this one question today. If, when you were in the very worst part of your situation, someone had shared their story with you and how the Lord had brought them through victoriously…how would it of helped you? Just to be able to talk to someone that had been in a similar situation and to listen to them talk about God’s mercy, grace, and hope would no doubt make a huge difference in how you looked at your own trial. We think nobody wants to hear our testimony…but I know there’s someone out there today that is desperate to hear it…so it can give them hope to hold on one more day.
Safetypinlove 