Mark 5:36c

"Do not be afraid; only believe."

'My Lord, these are such sweet, tender words from my Savior. A simple, sympathetic saying, but packed with compassion, comfort and conviction. I wish I could have seen Jairus's reaction to Jesus' words. Jairus lost perhaps one of his most valued gifts, his daughter. She was dead. Jairus was hopeless, and even said to Jesus that there would be no further need to trouble Him. It was over.

At the moment of Jairus's greatest heartache and helplessness, Jesus looked at him and said, "Do not be afraid; only believe." Before that moment, Jairus had hope, he had faith that Jesus could and would heal her. When he heard that she died, that hope and faith vanished. He was afraid. What was Jairus going to do now?

When I lose hope and faith that something I thought was going to be accomplished by and through Jesus doesn't, I too become afraid. What am I going to do? And therein lies the source of my fear, "What am I going to do?" It's not what I'm going to do now, but what is Jesus going to do now? It's not over with Him, but it is over with me. And it's at that moment, and only then, that Jairus could see the real power of Jesus at work, and then, only then when I've lost all hope and faith in myself will I also see the real power of Jesus at work.

Lord, release me from me. There is no power there. I'm weak, but your power is perfected in my weakness. (cf. II Corinthians 12:9) Thank you for showing this to me this morning. I long to embrace those precious words, "Do not be afraid; only believe."'