Just Believe

"Don't be afraid; just believe." Mark 5:36


Are you concerned for someone?

There is a story told about Jesus raising a young girl from the dead. She is very sick, and her father goes to Jesus to ask Him to heal her. Before they arrive at the house, others come to tell the man his daughter has died. It's too late.

But not so fast. Jesus is already on His way to help, and all hope is not lost. "Don't be afraid," He tells the father. "Just believe."

Perhaps today you are concerned for someone.  Physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually they are dying. You have asked Jesus for help on their behalf, and yet it seems all hope is lost. You asked too late, or Jesus didn't come soon enough. You are heartbroken. You are already grieving the loss. You are devastated.

Others say, "Don't bother Jesus any more. It's too late." And yet you hear Jesus whisper, "Ignore them.  This isn't over yet. Don't be afraid; just believe."

What are your fears for this person? (Or, if you are the one who needs the healing touch of Jesus, what are your fears for yourself?) Fear in itself can be deadly. It robs us of hope, faith, joy, and peace. Fear is the result of unbelief. What are you not believing about God? Are you doubting His love? Are you doubting His presence? Are you doubting His power? Are you doubting His promise to work all things together for good?

This story in Mark 5 is followed by an account of Jesus going home to spend some time among His friends and relatives in Nazareth. It's not the homecoming He would like, however. He shares the Good News with them, and they are amazed by His teaching, but they don't buy it. In Mark 6:5 it says, He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

Contrast that with the young girls' parents. Despite her apparent death, their faith lives on. They trust Jesus to do the impossible, and He does it. "Little girl; I say to you, get up!" Immediately the girl stood up and walked around. At this they were completely astonished.

If someone you know is close to physical death or has already died, don't be afraid. They are safe with Jesus, and so are you. Life may not be the same without them, but it can still be good. Jesus never takes someone from us without a reason. Trust in His faithfulness and promise to be with you. And if physical healing is still possible, trust Him to do what is needed and what is best.

If someone you know is close to another kind of death (turning away from God, living a destructive lifestyle, a victim of another's behavior, etc.), don't be afraid. Don't lose heart. If you have asked Jesus to come and bring new life, all hope is not lost. The exact outcome may not be what you want, or may take longer than you prefer, or may be more than you dare to ask for, but no matter what, Jesus is over it. And you can trust Him to save the day. Don't be afraid; just believe.


This amazed everyone, and they all praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:12

Seek and Listen

"Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David." Isaiah 55:3


I love the promises of God. In good times they remind me of His faithfulness. How He has blessed me. How He has led me. How He has rescued me. In difficult times they remind me He is near. They give me strength and hope. They help me get up when I have fallen. They lead me on.

What comes to mind when you think of what God has promised you? Do you know all of His promises? Do you know any? The Bible is full of commands and instructions, and sometimes they may seem too hard to follow, and for other people in another time. But they're not. They're for you and for your good. And so are His promises.

Through His prophet Isaiah, God said, "Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen and you will find life." That's both a command and a promise. The invitation is to come and listen: To learn His ways; To seek the truth of His love. The promise is to find life. That's something worth finding, wouldn't you say? Do you want to know what God has for you? Seek the LORD while you can find him, Isaiah says. Call on him now while he is near. (Is. 55:6)

The Bible is full of good advice, better than any book, magazine, or blog you will ever read. Writers who use the Bible to teach spiritual truths are worth listening to, and I hope you learn a lot from the things I share. But don't just rely on writers and teachers of the truth. Seek God's truth for yourself from the Bible and by listening to Him speak to you. What is He saying? How is He guiding you? What promises do you need to discover?

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." (Isaiah 55:8) There is much to know about your God. There is much to seek. Don't miss the opportunity to know Him in a deeper way. Don't miss the good instructions and promises He has for you.


"Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen and you will find life."

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

Truth and Light

"Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body will be filled with light." Matthew 6:22

Matthew Six is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Jesus is speaking the whole time, and He has so many great things to say. He talks about prayer. He talks about how to receive God's blessings. He reminds us we don't need to worry because God will always take care of us. He takes a complicated religious system and simplifies it to one rule: 'Trust God; He is your loving Father who will never overlook your needs or your deeds.'

The majority of the chapter is straightforward. He gives practical, take-home advice. Anyone listening to Him speak would not have to question what He meant, but He does get in one metaphor that takes some thought to consider. "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body." He makes a connection between our perspective and our actions. The "why" behind the choices we make. It involves more than following instructions. It involves understanding why He gives those instructions.

He says, 'Don't do things to please people or be noticed by them.' Why? People are difficult to impress, they don't pay much attention, and their praise is short-lived. If that's what you're living for, you will be disappointed.

He says to trust God. Why? Because God is trustworthy. He always provides, always rewards, and always sees. He sees you in your desperate hour. He sees you in your effort to love, give, and forgive. If you are trusting Him, He doesn't miss that, and He can't let you down. If you are living to walk in His ways, the reward is guaranteed, not as a payment for dutiful service and being "good", but as a cause-and-effect blessing.  He only asks us to do what is best for us anyway!

"Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body."  How do you view God? How do you view His ways?  How do you view yourself? If your perspective is correct, you will be filled with light. If your perspective is false, you will live in darkness. If you are feeling depressed, worthless, and ugly, you are not living in the truth that you are loved and valued by God and others. If you are feeling guilty, ashamed, and like a bad person, you are not living in the truth you have been forgiven and can move on from where you've been to all God has for you. If you are feeling like you're not good enough and not doing enough for God, you are not living in the truth of His unconditional love and grace that always accepts you right where you're at. If you are feeling confused, lonely, or stressed, you are not living in the truth of Jesus' invitation: "Come to Me...and I will give you rest...My burden is light." (Mt. 11:28-30)

I don't need to tell you what you struggle with. You know. But do you know why you struggle? What are you not believing about God? What are you not believing about yourself and who He has made you to be? Step out of the darkness and into the light. Out of the lies and into the truth: God is love; His ways are best; And you are His treasured possession...valuable and worth dying for. His greatest desire is to raise you to new life that lives every moment in the reality of His love.

I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 40:1-3

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.