Faith is born in those who are helpless and wretched, and it acts on the basis of the impossible. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” Luke 6:10. Here, Jesus required the impossible, and the man believed the impossible; he reached out his hand according to Jesus’ word. The same thing happened to the paralytic. Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” An unbelieving person would have considered his sickness, and said, “This requirement is too much, because I cannot get off my bed; but make me well first, then I will take my bed and go to my house—heal my withered hand first, then I will stretch it out.” Jesus’ word is: If you believed, then you would see. Take note that the man was healed because of his obedience. In this instance Jesus did not heal the man directly, afterwards telling him that, since he was now well, he could go to his house. But Jesus gave the man a command to carry his bed, and for him to be able to do it, it was necessary for him to be well and have strength. And in the process of obeying Jesus’ word (see also Luke 17:14), without considering his illness, he was made well. By faith he penetrated the difficulty that is called sickness to be able to do Jesus’ will. Healing was faith’s reward for being obedient to Jesus’ word. Perhaps you are praying for the salvation of sinners, for revival. Then you expect and wait for it to come. You say that the hearts are so hard, and that now God has to step in. But perhaps God’s voice after you have prayed said, “Go out and plead with them.” But you are unbelieving, thinking that it is useless, because the hearts are so hard, and so you continue to pray for revival. But perhaps the answer to your prayer was precisely in your obedience. If you had cast out the net at His word, you would have caught souls even though you had previously struggled “all night, yet caught nothing.” A man is sick and prays for healing. God’s voice speaks to his heart and says, “Go and visit your sick neighbor today,” but he says, “I am sick in bed, but I will go as soon as I am well.” He did not see that the answer to his prayer was hidden in his obedience to God’s will. We can do everything God says we shall do. If He gives us the task of doing something which we previously thought impossible as well as unreasonable, then He gives strength for it—if only we are obedient. Faith enables a person not to reckon with obstacles when it comes to doing God’s will. Jesus has opened the way. Therefore there are no more barriers when it concerns doing God’s will. If seemingly impossible things are piling up, then believe that Jesus has also opened the way through them, and if you believe, you will see a glorious way through, a glorious salvation, a revelation of God’s glory and power. It is unbelief that is the curse of the people. You believe the impossible because you are helpless—for all things are possible for those who believe. A sister prayed for the baptism of the Spirit. God then spoke to her about praising God in the assembly. But she thought that she couldn’t do it; she lacked power as well as boldness, and things got darker and darker for her in her impotence. But God kept reminding her about praising Him in the assembly in meeting after meeting, and so it went for a long time. And she was still praying for the baptism of the Spirit. Then, in spite of her impotence and darkness, she finally obeyed God’s voice one day and began to open her mouth in the assembly in order to praise God. And while she opened her mouth in praise, God filled her heart with His Holy Spirit, so that praise and thanks flowed out. God had answered her prayer a long time ago, yet she hadn’t seen it. If she had lifted up her voice in praise, she would have avoided having to wait so long. She had paid more attention to her impotence, her “withered hand,” than to Jesus’ command. He gives His Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. Acts 5:32. For all those who are waiting for God to answer their prayers, this is an area in which they need to pay attention, because people often expect an answer to prayer as a gift without further ado, but here we see that it comes hidden in an act of obedience. One day it will be revealed that God has answered our cries and sent us what we had prayed for, but we weren’t obedient and have therefore seen nothing. Perhaps there are many accumulated answers to prayer that are waiting for your obedience, so they can be revealed. Therefore, if you are praying for something, pay heed to God’s voice and obey. For obedience is the way to what you have prayed for. The Syrian Naaman was healed as he was being obedient to Elisha’s word. 2 Kings 5:14. The “withered hand” is a sign of acknowledgment. Acknowledge your weakness, and God gives strength. Acknowledge that you have an impure conscience, and God will cleanse it. Stretch your “withered hand” out to God, and He will heal it. Confess your sin, and He forgives and cleanses. It is the shame of these “withered hands” that hinders so many people. Jesus came for those who were suffering. Those who hide their “withered hand” will not get it healed. “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden . . . And you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Ps. 32:5. The person, who says he has no sin deceives himself. Open your heart that is filled with cares for many things—acknowledge them—and it will be filled with peace that surpasses all understanding, keeping your mind and heart, so you can live liberated and sound in your spirit. Let your impotence meet God’s omnipotence. It fully covers your need in all areas; acknowledge before His face, and you will find grace to help at the right time. However, the person who does not want to bear the shame of acknowledging his impotence—acknowledging his “withered hand”—will not find the omnipotence, just as the person who is ashamed to acknowledge his sin will not find salvation. A leader of an assembly in Korea lived such a life that those who had contact with him could not see anything wrong with him. But God sees what men do not see, and He showed him that he had a “withered hand.” At the next meeting, the leader confessed his wretchedness, just as God had shown it to him, and the consequence was that the entire assembly was overcome by acknowledgment and need, stretching out their “withered hands”—their sin, their apathy, their antagonisms, their impure consciences—toward God, and He healed them. The acknowledgment of sin kept spreading, and God saved many sinners. It is these “withered hands” that make believers unfit for the work in God’s kingdom. Acknowledge, stretch out, and God will give strength and power. You are withered and paralyzed because God has not renewed you in the spirit of your mind. And for as long as you are paralyzed, you are not fit to serve in God’s kingdom.Aksel Smith