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Article Archive |
2008
Going Over the Top
by Jim Morris
“It is impossible to climb that hill!” Marty muttered. We had both inched our dirt bikes down the treacherous incline for what seemed like a lifetime. It was a loose, rugged trail formed by water runoff under a four-lane bridge that spanned a river. To make matters worse, the top ten feet of the slope formed a wicked overhang!
We marveled at the hill. There was only a short trail leading up to it to provide a running start. It was too short. The trail was too loose and winding. The hill was too tall and steep. It was impossible...
As we stared at the obstacle, my kid brother, John, drove up on his dirt bike. He smiled and looked at the hill, too. “Did you climb that hill?” asked John.
“I know you can make it,” I answered. Before John let me explain that we only came down the hill and did not go up it, he blasted down the trail to its base.
“If you could make it, then I can, too!” John yelled without looking back.
With his bike’s engine screaming, up he went. Gravel sprayed as he leaned almost over the handlebars because of the steep incline. The bike did not falter. With speed and skill that I did not know my brother possessed, he shot up the face of the overhang, paused mid-air for an eternity and cleared the top! Wow! John did what we thought was impossible!
Faith made the difference. John strongly believed in his skill, his bike and his brother. His faith carried him over the top.
Jesus’ disciples were confronted with an impossible task after coming off of the Mount of Transfiguration. “When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him” (Matthew 17:14-16).
How often have we done the same thing ourselves? We try to say and do the right things, but they just don’t seem to work. We stand back wondering what is wrong...
“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment” (17:17-18).
My friends, we need “faith” in the power and promises of God to carry us over the top.
“Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (17:19-20).
03-19-08
# 12
