Be Not Afraid, Only Believe

These powerful words were spoken by Jesus to Jairus, a ruler of a synagogue, upon learning that his daughter was dead. As you probably know, Jesus raised the girl from the dead and restored her to her family whole (Mk. 5:35,36,41,42). This short post today is all about those words, because I have news for you; those words have never gone away. Not for me. Not for you. Not for ANYBODY who will “only believe.” In fact, none of Jesus’ words have gone away, and he remains the “same yesterday, today, and forever” (Mat. 24:35; Heb. 13:8). So here is what I have to say to you today my friend, and truly these words are “good tidings” (Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:15): The nations are troubled, economies are troubled, governments are troubled, families are troubled; and the body of Christ is divided, weak, and crippled. Do you want to sink with the sinking ship that is this world, or do you want to rise above it all and be blessed with the “peace that passes all understanding,” regardless of circumstances that may besiege you? If you will only “be not afraid, [and] only believe,” you will be upheld in God’s great hand through anything and all things! I know this for an absolute fact. In fact [no pun intended] it is more than absolute fact. It is absolute truth. It is the word of Jesus that never passes away. The apostle Paul emphatically wrote that there is absolutely nothing that is “able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39). So how is that possible? Because, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31) “And who is he that will harm you, if you be followers of that which is good?” (I Pet. 3:13) So then if we truly believe these things, there is only one evident result: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). What we need to do is to continuallly do the things that cultivate faith in God, so that we are able to believe and trust in the mighty love, and care, and power that God has toward us. The beloved apostle said it this way: “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, becausewe keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight”(I Jn. 3:21,22). Surely the apostle Paul spoke truth in saying that “he be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27). He is closer than our capacity to call on him my friend, and ever ready to be “a very present help in trouble” (Psm. 45:1).  And may we always be admonished by the memorable proverb, regarding faith: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5,6). That is what we need, for the Lord to direct our paths; for he’s the only one who knows where we need to be going, and how to get there. So then,

“Be not afraid, only believe.” Amen.