Maybe you are feeling that way today. I want to encourage you, God’s delay is not God’s denial. You are doing the right thing putting all your trust in Jesus and not in your own efforts, because when God comes through it will be that much sweeter! God can do things that no-one else can do. God can do the impossible, the miraculous, the supernatural. If you try and do things your way, it won’t be anywhere near as spectacular.
When God shows up there are fireworks displays, signs and wonders and miracles happen like you wouldn’t believe. But you need to hang in there to see the miracle happen! You need to continue to believe that God will do what He has said He will do!
Some of us have no choice but to believe God, we have exhausted all human means of help and we are left hanging at the end of the rope looking for some hope; at the edge of the cliff looking for a parachute; about to be thrown into the fire and hoping God will show up and deliver us. Sometimes God has us right where He wants us – totally dependent on Him. He wants all the glory for Himself!
And sometimes we see others getting miracles from God and we get discouraged, we say ‘God , you are no respecter of persons, where is my miracle?!’ Jairus the ruler of the synagogue felt this way as he came to Jesus looking for a miracle for his daughter – she was at the verge of death and he came to Jesus in desperation knowing only a miracle could help her. No doctor could cure her, his wealth and position could not help her, his doctrine and good works could not help her, only a miracle from God could help her.
And Jesus said he would come and pray and he began to go to his house but as he did he was delayed, a woman touched him and received a miracle as he was on his way. And Jesus came too late to Jairus “While He (Jesus) was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?” Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.” He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” ). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:35-43)
And Jairus had put all his bets on God, he had put all his eggs into one basket. Fortunately for his sake and his daughter, he made the right decision. And if you have done the same thing I want to tell you, you are making the right decision looking to Jesus Christ for a miracle. And Jesus ignored what everyone else was saying, they had no idea who He was, and he looked Jairus in the eye and said “Do not be afraid, only believe!”
Well in truth, that’s all Jairus could do, God knows sometimes things get so bad no human effort can help, only faith in Jesus could help this little girl. And it is our faith which pleases God! Without faith it is impossible to please God! Faith is the detonator that unlocks the explosive healing and miraculous power of God. God gets all the glory when we humble ourselves and say ‘God I am looking only to you, and no one else for help.’ Jesus has all the power but He needs us to believe, and then He will do the impossible.
And with God all thing are possible. We love to put limits on God and conditions and provide all kinds of excuses for what God can and cannot do. We need to know God’s power is unlimited, but He needs us to believe, He moves in an atmosphere of faith.
And Jesus removed everyone who looked with their natural eyes at the circumstances, those who were weeping and wailing at the death of this child. They had allowed their emotions and the circumstances to dictate to them what they could believe. And you may be weeping and wailing as you look at your circumstances today. I challenge you to get God’s mind on those circumstances and then begin to believe God can change them.
And faith sees things differently, with the eyes of faith Jesus said ‘the child is just asleep,’ those without faith began to laugh at him, as far as they were concerned it was all over. The bible tells us the natural mind does not understand the things of God, sometimes faith looks crazy! But God sees things differently, imagine Almighty God not being able to do something, now that’s funny! Faith is when we begin to see things God’s way and begin to agree with God.
Jesus removed the doubters, sometimes we need to allow only those who believe God into our life and be an influence in our lives, the doubters must go. Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, you can love them but don’t let them influence you. And if you have done all you can do, then all you can do is believe. Only believe! It is so simple.
Jesus did not say to Jairus, ‘you need to confess the word brother’, or ‘you need to follow these ten steps to success,’ or ‘you need to spend time in the word, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God,’ or ‘you need to repent of your sins and the sins of your ancestors,’ or ‘you need to deal with the unresolved anger you have towards your parents,’ – the list goes on …
I’m not saying anything against these things I’m just saying God knows when you are at that place and all you can do is believe. God is saying ‘I can take care of this mess, only believe’ God knows only He can do it, He knows the situation is dead without His power. But He is looking for one thing from you. It is your faith in Jesus and His power and ability which connects the power of God to the desperateness of your situation.
And when God’s power is released a miracle happens, ‘immediately the little girl arose.’ God’s power can change things in a heartbeat, in the twinkling of an eye, before you even know it has happened, in a split second, God can do a miracle. Friend, He is counting on you today looking you in the eye and saying – ‘Do not be afraid, only believe.’
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