February 21
Lev 11:1-12:8 | PS 38:1-22 | Prov 10:8-9 | Mark 5:21-43
How sick does someone have to be before you stop praying for healing, how close to death before you change how you are praying? How many years must someone who has walked away, be away, before your prayers for restoration cease? Though sometimes God’s answers to what we are requesting is “No”, many times we give up because in our lack of faith we can’t see our prayers being answered. Faith is believing and trusting that which we can’t see (Hebrews 11:1). Trusting means we are willing to put all of the weight of our hope on what we are placing our trust in. May we never read through the stories in Scripture thinking that we are familiar with this passage. We seek the God who heals (Jehovah Rapha), the God who provides (Jehovah Jireh), the God who can breathe life into those who are dead and who can restore what we have lost. May we never fall guilty of placing limits on a limitless God.
When we read Scripture across different days, chapters, etc., we must not forget that these are artificial breaks placed centuries later (1200 AD chapters inserted, 1500AD verses inserted) from when the author wrote the book under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In the section where Jesus speaks calmness to the surrounding storm in the presence of his scared disciples, we read His rebuke to them in Mark 4:40, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” We come next to a couple of individuals who possessed amazing faith despite their circumstances. A woman who had lost everything, bleeding for twelve years due to the Mosaic Law had left her an outcast, unable to mingle or touch others, unable to go to synagogue. Yet we read her thoughts just before she lunges for the hem of Jesus in 5:28, “For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” I “shall”, not I “might” is what she thought. When she is healed, we read Jesus’ comments to her in 5:34, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” We then read of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue who approached Jesus with the hope of healing his daughter, who just received the news in 5:35, “While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”” But Jairus continues to move forward in faith after Jesus tells him in 5:36, “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Our walk of faith is a real walk. It is a marathon, not a sprint. As we read of these individuals mentioned in Scripture we need to ask ourselves, “Would we have lunged for the hem of Jesus?”, “Would we have continued to the house of our dead daughter with Jesus?”. Our stories and our situations are different, but the need of faith to be lived out is not. Approach Him daily, constantly. There is nothing too small or too large to bring to Him. We always need to accept His will on everything, but May we come to Him as a child realizing that He can do anything. All praise and honor to our faithful God!
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: