When Jesus heard it, He answered him, “Don't be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well.” (Luke 8:50 HCSB)
Don’t be afraid. This one phrase is repeated all through the Bible. From the time of Abraham through the gospels, it appears in different forms, over one hundred times, spoken by God directly or through angels who He sent to His servants in times of great distress. And here, Jesus says it again. As impossible as it feels when certain doom is staring you in the face, God calls us to refuse our fears and choose faith instead.
One problem most of us have is that we want God to take away the feeling of fear first, and then we’ll be able to believe. But God commands us to banish our fear, to take control over our emotions. In the preceding verses, Jairus, a distraught father, hears news that his sick daughter has just died, and this is the answer Jesus gives him. I have known many people to react with a sense of insult and anger when I’d encouraged them with these words. We’d like to believe that we are humble children of God, but I’m sure that many would argue back at Jesus, thinking that He was being insensitive and rude. But that is where the rubber meets the road – that’s where the chance for a miracle either fizzles out, or ignites into a full blaze.
In the original writings of the New Testament, the words faith, trust and belief all come from the same Greek root word.. The word “believe” in the Bible signifies a conviction that is so strong, it has to be lived out and acted upon. Putting your belief to the test is true belief, not the weak meaning we attach to the word in English. “I believe in the theory of relativity,” just means you agree that a lot of scientists say it’s true. Most of us have no idea what that theory even means, much less change our way of life because of it. But when Jesus commands us to not be afraid and just believe, He is asking for a radical action of trust, a change of course, a willingness to take great risk because of that belief.
Fortunately Jairus had the humility to push his emotions to the side and obey. His belief wasn’t just a mental agreement, it became action. He chose to bind up fear and walk back home by Jesus’ side in the faith that his little girl would be fine – even though she was dead. We know the rest of the story, that Jesus called her name and she rose from her bed as if she had just been asleep. If we say we believe in God and His word, we need to act on it, even if it feels scary or ridiculous, otherwise we really don’t believe at all.
Weak, uncommitted believers are everywhere. Don’t be contaminated by them. This false belief is no different from the kind of belief that demons have in God. “You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.” (James 2:19) We can choose a demonic belief that nods and agrees and does nothing, or true belief that risks everything and works. The promise God offers, is that the dead can be raised and the impossible become a reality.
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement. (Leviticus 17:14 HCSB)
God is giving a command to the Israelites and even to foreigners who visit them to never eat blood, and if they do, He will turn against them and cut them off from His people. This is how precious and holy the lifeblood of an animal is. In Acts, Peter is given a vision that all things are now clean to eat, and that the Gentiles who were once considered unclean can become fellow sons and daughters of God if they live for Jesus. But even so, the early church leaders call all believers to make sure that they abstain from eating blood. Kosher laws were no longer an obligation to follow, but honoring the lifeblood of an animal was still to be observed, just like in the time of Moses. (Acts 15:20)
The promise that God gives to Moses was a foreshadowing of the perfect sacrifice that would come in the form of Jesus, over a thousand years later. God tells them that blood is only to make atonement (to remove sin and make people one with God). The blood of animals, lambs, bulls, goats and others, were offered daily in the tabernacle and later the temple. It was the central and most crucial act of worship to God. It was a very visual and tactile reminder that sin separates us from God, and that an innocent life has to be sacrificed so that it’s lifeblood could cry out for our forgiveness.
It may sound gruesome, but if we could see the filth and depravity of our own souls, we would understand how gruesome our own state of existence is. The rebellious attitudes and selfishness of every human being who has ever been born, creates a huge gaping chasm between God and us. We are hopelessly lost without a savior. Jesus’ pure and perfect blood that was shed for every sin of the world, past present and future, is the highest and greatest act of love this world has ever known. Receiving God’s forgiveness because of His lifeblood is our only hope of being rescued from the punishment we deserve. But His blood needs to be honored and received with humility and reverence. It can only cleanse us if we kill our sinful natures first and refuse to live in sin any more. That’s what repentance and salvation is all about.
Jesus shocked his disciples one day when He said, “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. (John 6:52) Many of Jesus’ followers turned around and abandoned Him right then and there. The thought of drinking blood was so horrifying, that they couldn’t stand to hear one more word. Jesus looked at His twelve disciples and asked if they were going to leave Him too. It is shocking that the holy Son of God would sacrifice His blood for us. It heals, forgives and makes us children of God. Honor His sacrifice every day by killing your selfish desires and living by His Spirit.
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NKJV)
There’s a false idea going around that once a churchgoer gives his tithes, “it’s all good” between him and God. But money in an offering plate or bag is really not what God is looking for. He’s looking for four things: giving bountifully, giving purposefully, giving without a grudging attitude, and above all giving cheerfully. This promise has everything to do with the state of a giver’s heart. No one has the right to proclaim that God is obligated to bless them, just because they write out a well-calculated check. True giving is an act of our whole being, body, mind, heart and spirit.
When God’s people worshipped Him in the past, offerings and sacrifices were always present. That teaches us that what we give is a form of worship, it’s when we speak to God by denying ourselves a portion of our physical wealth as a symbol of love and devotion to Him. Giving tithes and offerings should be the most joyful time of our worship to Him in church. Along with that is the giving of our time and efforts to reach out to others, to pray for the sick, to show kindness against the will of our flesh and even to wake up early and seek His face. They should all be viewed as an honor and a joy to give to the one who sustains our lives every moment of every day. Cheerful and bountiful giving is the only rational form of giving there is. It should be a natural and purposeful response to all He has given us.
In church we regularly teach the principles of tithing, offerings and sacrifices. The devil despises the idea of God being honored by His people. He also hates the fact that if we give bountifully and cheerfully, we’re guaranteed to receive bountifully from God. One way he can circumvent our blessings, is to get us to feel a sense of dread or compulsion when it’s time to give, to resent the pastor for his teachings. Another common trick is to create a false pride in those who give their ten percent down to the penny, but who have all kinds of sin hidden in their hearts. The devil isn’t stupid, he knows all the ways to blind us and then blame God or the church when our finances go down the drain.
Prepare yourself in advance before your next visit to church. Don’t worry about what the pastor might think or about the people you imagine are watching you (most people really don’t care what others are doing during offering time). Prayerfully think about what you want to give - if it’s time for giving a tithe, or if you want to give beyond that as well. Make sure your giving is a form of cheerful and humble worship to the God who created and saved you, not out of obligation or guilt. Why waste your earnings on an empty donation when there are so many amazing blessings that God has promised you because of your giving? If you realize that you’ve been giving in an empty or prideful way, change today and watch just how God keeps His word every time.
You men, how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? How long will you love what is worthless and search for what is deceptive? Realize that the Lord shows the godly special favor; the Lord responds when I cry out to him. (Psalm 4:2-3 NET)
This is a promise to those who live in submission to God, and a warning to those who try to shame them. And even more than that, this is an example of how we should react when others try to disgrace us unfairly. In the two chapters before this psalm, David is talking to God about the many enemies he has who surround and threaten him. They weren’t just the unkind bosses or gossipy neighbors who create strife for us, he had literal enemies who were out for his blood. For many years, David was on the run from his own king whom he loved, because a demon in King Saul filled him with jealous rage. Yet even in life and death situations, David didn’t share the same hatred for the man who wanted to kill him.
His question to his enemy was, how long are you going to keep trying to destroy me? Don’t you know that I have special favor from God? When people or situations try to shame us and tear down our faith, this should be our response. We should see those threats as empty and worthless. We should view the devil’s attempts as pitiful because there is no way he can stand up against the protection of the Almighty.
Anther aspect of David’s response, is that he is absolutely sure that he is godly and that the Lord will answer his prayers. It is impossible for God not to do so. If we are at peace in the knowledge that we are living godly lives, in a constant state of repentance and humility before Him, in obedience and love for Him, we can have the assurance that God will come to our rescue. When it doesn’t happen immediately, we have no reason to panic, because God cares for His own.
God’s character is so pure and holy, that if He broke any of His promises, He would cease to be who He is. He isn’t only a just God, He is the God of justice. He isn’t just a loving God, He is love. Who He is can never change. The Bible says that there isn’t even a shadow of changing with God. When decide to live based on that truth, the assurance of the Holy Spirit can flood into us and prove to us how faithful He is. Living based on His truths and promises is what makes us godly, and what keeps us safe under His protection. We can laugh at the threats of the devil through people, situations, the voices of doubt in our own minds – we can see them for what they are. And then we can watch and see how God comes to our rescue in a big way.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:19-20 NET)
God, the creator of the universe, who never began and will never end, all knowing and all powerful, looked down on our tiny sin-filled planet and loved us with the love of a caring father. He decided to leave the glory of heaven to shrink down to our puny limited life form and live with us, and eventually allowed Himself to be murdered by us in the most torturous and disgraceful way. All so that we could be reconciled to Him. There was no other way to rescue our pitiful human race but for someone to offer a perfect blood sacrifice for us. And so God sent His own Son.
When we think of the absurdity of what God did, of the unbelievable love that He showed us by that act of total sacrifice, we should fall on our faces before Him in gratitude and worship, every day of our lives. We can now be reconciled to Him, to actually be accepted into heaven and welcomed not as filthy beggars, but as children – heirs. It’s just not fair that God would give us so much when all we have to offer him are sin-stained souls and selfish desires. God loved us even when we were still stuck in sin (Romans 5:8).
When He becomes our Lord, we no longer choose the paths we take or the kinds of morals we want to live by. His word becomes the final word in all our decisions, with no ifs, ands, or buts. It’s the least we can do for someone who is offering us heaven, and an intimate relationship with Him. Reconciling means we can now be His friends. The friend of the most powerful being in the universe, the one who gives us every breath we take. He opens His arms to welcome us into His throne room to begin to live in victory and power to overcome evil. He gives us authority to trample the devil, to bind up principalities, and to become a blessing and a light to everyone around us. This is what reconciliation is meant to be.
One question each of us need to ask, is if Jesus has now reconciled us to Himself, are we using that power and authority? Are we trampling evil, or has it been holding us hostage?
Jesus gave His last drop of blood so that we could be united to Him. If we aren’t surrendering to Him and accepting the power He is offering us, we are disrespecting His sacrifice on the cross. Let’s learn how to take full advantage of all He purchased for us so that His honor and glory can be seen throughout the earth.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25 NET)
Respect for authority and leadership is at an all time low. Some blame leaders for not deserving respect and others blame this generation of self-appointed critics giving their two cents’ worth all over the internet. Either way, the concept of honor and allegiance seems outdated in today’s world. But no matter how many scandals break out on the news, there is an eternal world that is more real and has never changed, and will never change. Thank goodness. In fact, it’s the only world that should make any difference in our lives.
The person who understands what true reality is, focuses his thoughts and decisions on the spiritual world. Getting riled up about what a politician says or the opinion of a TV personality is an example of the foolishness of human wisdom. Not that caring about politics or education is worthless, it’s just that there is no answer on this earth that can rival the wisdom of God.
Even a theologian who studies Greek and Hebrew, the deep meanings of ancient texts and all the great commentaries on the scriptures, can be totally lost in the picayune details of biblical studies and never live the life that is taught there. The topic may be about God, yet he can be tangled up in the pride and foolishness of human wisdom. It shouldn’t be a surprise that many pastors, church leaders and bible scholars will not make it to heaven. (See Matthew 7)
How often have you consulted your pastor for advice on a matter, and then disliked what he said because it seemed too impractical for you? I’ve had many come to me in tears and begging for counsel, just to leave with a polite thank you. I’d find out later that they never even attempted to do what God said in His word. They decided that their wisdom was superior, and that God’s was foolish. Then they complained that nothing was getting better. Their minds were too contaminated by their own wisdom to see how they were only hurting themselves.
It’s been rare, but those who are humble enough to recognize that God is Lord and practice what He says - even when it feels undoable - find treasures of blessings that they never expected. Forgiving enemies seems like foolishness, but it’s wisdom that opens our way into God’s Kingdom. Giving and sacrificing is reacted against vehemently by the world, but it’s all a part of living as one who has been saved.
God knows that living by faith is a challenge to our flesh, and only those who consciously decide to obey His words over the screaming noise of this world, can be His children. Retrain your mind to value the words of God above popular opinions, and live by them. Don’t assume you know better than God, because even His foolishness is superior to your wisdom by far.
Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it? Yes, I will make a road in the desert and paths in the wilderness. (Isaiah 43:19 NET)
It’s the beginning of a new year – time has flown and maybe you’re looking back at last year, at unfulfilled plans and regrets that you hadn’t been more faithful to God. But now is not the time to wallow in guilt or self-pity. God is telling us, look! I’m going to do something new, don’t you see it? Don’t you recognize it?
If there is sin that needs to be repented of, do it now. Be baptized as the New Year begins. If there is someone you need to ask forgiveness of, if you need to mend broken relationships or recommit to God, begin the process now. You don’t want to miss the new and amazing things that God is going to do for you. Waste no more time on regrets, because the changes that God is preparing for you are too wonderful for you to focus on anything else.
God wants to give you a smooth and clear path out of the wilderness where you may have been wandering. He’s not punishing you for your wandering, He’s delivering you from it — as long as you turn to Him and allow Him to lead you. But He knows very well that you can easily ignore all of His love and care for you. He’s asking you now if you recognize what He is doing, because no matter how powerful and beautiful His miracles are, each of us has the free will and the sinful nature to just shut Him out and keep wandering in circles in the desert. It’s a travesty, but that’s the story of most people’s lives. But it doesn’t have to be.
The promise is before us. It’s so worth shaking off the heaviness of guilt and regrets of the past and going for what God has planned for us now. Paul’s goal during the early church should be our daily decision for all of this new year. “Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
