CHOOSE FAITH
Mark 5:36 NKJV
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
This is such a good chapter. In this fifth chapter are two very clear examples of faith.
The first example is the lady who had a bleeding problem. She was the one who said that if she could touch Jesus’ clothes, she would be well. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all share the story of this lady and her faith. Mark wrote that she said, if I can touch His clothes. Matthew wrote that she said to herself. The point is that she was talking, and it was her faith, what she believed; that was the primary voice. Whether to herself or out loud, this girl said what she believed and then acted on what she believed by pushing through a crowd to touch Jesus. It’s a great example of faith. Jesus even commended her for her faith.
Our other example is the ruler of the synagogue, Jairus. He was the man who came to Jesus and asked for healing for his daughter. His expression of faith is notable. “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” Jairus was expressing what he believed, and Jesus went with him. On the way, people came with the news that Jairus’ daughter had died. And Jesus responded immediately. “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Jesus’ response indicated that Jairus had a choice. When we hear this, it’s hard not to think that Jesus gave Jairus an impossible directive. Who would not be afraid after receiving that kind of news? But Jesus never gave someone a command that they could not perform. Jesus was always one hundred percent fair and just. Jairus had a choice. He could continue to believe Jesus, or he could give in to fear. Jairus chose to believe. He stayed the course with Jesus, and his daughter was raised from the dead.
APPLICATION
I am sure it was helpful to Jairus to have Jesus right there with him when the bad news came. But the principle is the same today. We must choose faith or fear. And fear is the easiest path because it usually is accompanied by a multitude of feelings. But we still have a choice. This is another reason why daily devotional time with the Lord is important. We must continue to feed our faith with God’s Word because we are surrounded by feelings, impressions, and obvious contradictions to what we believe. But we do not have to give in to fear; we can make the courageous choice to choose faith even when things do not look promising, and feelings are raging.
Jesus’ words to Jairus still apply today. Do not be afraid, only believe.
PRAYER
Lord, I choose to believe in You and Your word. Fear is not my lord. You are my Lord, and I choose You.