Week 36
Mark 5:36 “But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”
There perhaps is no greater fear than the fear one feels when a loved one hurts, especially when there seems to be nothing humanly possible to do to alleviate the suffering. Love will go to any lengths and make any sacrifice to bring solace and comfort to a loved one who is sick or brokenhearted. But when the situation goes beyond human resources and capacities, then fear settles in. This fear is terrifying, immobilizing, and overwhelming. To feel this fear is to drown in sorrow. Sometimes this kind of fear is complicated with guilt, regret, and other human struggles that make the fear feel like an unconquerable monster.
One can imagine the excruciating sorrow and trauma on this father’s face when at last after all he had tried to do to help his sick and dying daughter, the word came at last: “she is gone!”
Questions come rushing in like a flood: “Could we have hurried more? Did we wait too long? Should Jesus have stopped to minister to the woman with the hemorrhage (5:25-34)?” Then comes the awful and crushing reality – gone, gone, she is gone!
But hear the immediate words of Jesus to this heart-stricken father: “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”
We might be surprised that Jesus attacks the fear first, but in doing so Jesus shows us where the true battle resides. The real issue in life is this: DO WE BELIEVE GOD? The key point is to believe God, especially when we are sliced in half with anguish and turmoil. It is only when we are bereft of all human help that we find out the true state of our faith in Jesus. And it is when we are overwhelmed with life, the greatest need is to experience and express our faith in Jesus Christ about the very issue that is destroying our joy and hope.
Fear and faith fight for our attention. Fear and faith compete for our focus. As fear comes, faith goes; as faith comes, fear goes. They cannot simultaneously exist together.
Faith speaks to our souls and says, “Do not believe your circumstances, do not believe your perception of your situation; rather, believe in the goodness, the promise, and the love of God for you in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to understand everything; we don’t have to have an answer to every question. The pivotal point of faith is this: Believe in God no matter what is happening in life.
Dear Christian friend, can you not hear the words of Jesus, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe”? He is speaking these words and truths to you through the pages of Scripture. Receive this exhortation and counsel; act in faith and trust God’s promise to you in Christ. Rest your fears on Him who says to you, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” Then live your life in belief. There you will find peace, strength, and courage to continue on.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to believe in You instead of my trembling and fearful heart. I feel that all is lost, but I choose to trust You, instead of my fears. Thank You for Your love for me; thank You for Your promise to me in Christ.