But he said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Everywhere I turn I hear of women who have experienced unimaginable heartaches, marriages that are in crisis, families that are financially strapped, and people struggling with cancer and disease.
Luke 8:22-25 and Mark 4:35-40 (NLT), we find the disciples with Jesus, in a boat, taking a trip to the other side of the Sea of Galilee . They might have expected this would be one of the most amazing trips they’d ever take, and it was; just not in the way they expected.
As they crossed the Sea, a raging storm came upon them, out of nowhere. This storm brought these expert fishermen to the very end of themselves. They thought they were going to die. Have you ever been in a situation like that? One where there seems to be no way out, nothing you can do to save yourself? That same desperation is what the disciples must have felt that night. The storm was too big. We can look at their situation and think, “Didn’t they realize they had Jesus in the boat with them?” Listen, Jesus is in the boat with you too.
The disciples struggle to keep their boat from capsizing. Finally, as a last ditch effort, turn to Jesus in anger, crying out, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are going to drown?” As they look to Him, they find Him sleeping on a cushion, in the back of the boat. When we finally turn to Jesus, we too angrily cry out, “Lord, don’t you care?” As we look to Him, we find Him resting. We wonder, “How can He rest at a time like this?”
As the story continues, Jesus awakes and says to the storm, “Peace! Be Still!” and there was instant calming. A word from Jesus was all it took. The disciple’s desperation ceased and they were left in awe and amazement. We shouldn’t criticize ourselves too much for our lack of faith. The Disciples had witnessed the greatest miracles of Jesus, yet they were consumed with fear. Jesus was physically with them, and they waited until the last minute to ask Him for help. We wonder, “Shouldn’t it have it occurred to them, to ask Him for help, right away?” We should ask ourselves that same question in the desperate situations we face. Why go through all the worry and struggle, when we can just ask Jesus to calm the storm?
We can declare, “It’s just not that easy. Besides, Jesus was with them, physically.” If we believe in God’s Word, if we trust completely in what He says, then we must know that He is with us too. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear for I am with you.” Matthew 28:20 says, “I am with you always” So the question is, do you believe He is? When we’re consumed with fear and doubt and the wind and waves are taking us under, we can be assured that Jesus is with us.
We know that we need to trust Jesus, but practically, how do we do that when we’re being tossed about? Trusting in God means: seeking Him, entering into His rest, and trusting in His Word. Our faith requires action.
Faith seeks God in all things at all times. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus was very specific in telling those who were heavy-laden and overburdened to come to Him. If we’re experiencing fear and doubt, it’s because we’re not trusting God. We can’t trust Him in some things and not in others. There’s no such thing as God being almost sovereign.
If our situation needs a miracle, then we must realize that God is the only One that can perform that miracle. We must go to Him in prayer, casting all our cares on Him, and trust that He will handle it all, in His way, in His timing, which is always perfect. We must stop “laboring,” and start trusting.
Faith enters into God’s rest. In a violent, life-threatening storm, Jesus was peacefully asleep. In our storms of life, we too, can enter into rest with God. We must stop trying to do what only God can do. Often times, we are to stand still and watch God work (1 Chronicles 20: 15-17). Most of the time He simply wants us to believe (2 Chronicles 16:9).Entering into God’s rest, means continuing to trust Him, even if, our situation does not change. We can’t change our circumstances if the circumstances we are in are God’s will. We must trust that He has promised to work ALL things for good (Jeremiah 29:11). We might not be able to see how the trials and tribulations of our lives can possibly be used for good, but God is sovereign, we are not; His ways are higher and His ways are far better (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Faith trusts God and His Word. You can’t be an unbelieving believer. You either trust God or you don’t. You trust His Word or you don’t. Faith does not walk by sight, because every time you step out in faith, you can rest assured, you are going to be challenged with something that contradicts it. Faith is a choice, not a feeling.It is choice that declares, regardless of the way things appear, “I trust God.” Never forget that God sees your life from beginning to end. He is all-knowing, all-caring, and all-loving. There is nothing in your life that goes beyond His control. Trust Him to bring about victory in your life. You won’t be disappointed (1 Chronicles 5:20; Psalm 22:5).
If you find your faith and fear colliding, look to Jesus. He has not jumped out of the boat of your life. Seek God, enter into his rest, trust His Word. When the storms of life hit you won’t have to dust off your Bible or go searching for a lost prayer. You’ll know where your faith is.
Luke 8:22-25 and Mark 4:35-40 (NLT), we find the disciples with Jesus, in a boat, taking a trip to the other side of the Sea of Galilee . They might have expected this would be one of the most amazing trips they’d ever take, and it was; just not in the way they expected.
If our situation needs a miracle, then we must realize that God is the only One that can perform that miracle. We must go to Him in prayer, casting all our cares on Him, and trust that He will handle it all, in His way, in His timing, which is always perfect. We must stop “laboring,” and start trusting.
The story of the woman with the issue of blood can be found in Mark 5:24–34 and Luke 8:42–48. Though neither account is very long, Mark’s account provides a few more details than Luke’s.
The story of this woman takes place within a larger story. Jesus is on his way to a synagogue leader’s house to heal his dying daughter (see Mark 5:21–24) when an unnamed woman causes an interruption to His progress.
What we know about the woman is, first, she had a bleeding condition, and the issue had continued for twelve years. That’s a very long time. Second, she had spent all her money on treatments from many doctors, and nothing had helped; in fact, the blood issue had only grown worse (see Mark 5:25–26). We also know that Jewish Law declared her to be ceremonially unclean due to her bleeding issue (Leviticus 15:25-27). This meant that she would not have been permitted to enter the temple for Jewish religious ceremonies. According to the Law, anything or anyone she touched became unclean as well. The fact that she was in the crowd pressing around Jesus means that each person who bumped into her would have become unclean, too—including Jesus. But, after twelve years of suffering, she was obviously desperate for a miracle. “When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed’” (Mark 5:27–28).
As soon as the woman touches Jesus, her bleeding stops and she knows she’s been healed. In an instant, Jesus does what no doctor in twelve years had been able to. This proves the power of Christ, of course, but it also illustrates an important point about Jesus and the Law. In Leviticus 15:31 God says, “You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.” In the Old Testament, the temple was where God dwelt among the Israelites, but in the New Testament, God dwelt among men in the person of Jesus Christ (see John 1:14). Through Jesus the penalties of the Law are reversed, and the contamination of this world had no effect on Christ. The woman did not make Jesus (God’s dwelling) unclean—He made her clean!
Jesus immediately responds to the woman who touched His clothing and was healed. People were pushing and pressing into Him from all over, yet He stops, turns, and asks, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30). The disciples were incredulous, but Jesus knew that healing power had gone out of Him. We can’t “steal” a miracle from God. After the woman comes forward and explains herself, Jesus clears up any misconceptions about her healing, saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5:34). God is moved to action by our faith, even when He’s in the middle of doing something else!
Jesus could have healed the woman and kept on walking to His original destination. Only He and the woman would have known what had taken place. But He didn’t do that. Jesus stopped what He was doing and acknowledged the result of this woman’s faith: her complete and instantaneous healing.
My my faith of a mustard seed is all you and I need.
Posted from WordPress for Android
jfmanuel3's thanks for your prayers 