Luke 8:40-56

Today's reading tells the story of two kinds of faith.

The first is the Woman in the crowd. She doesn't need to talk to Jesus or be touched by Him. She believes she'll be healed simply by touching the hem of His garment.

Her faith proves true, and she is healed.

The second is Jairus, who hears the shocking news of his daughter's death. Jesus reminds Jairus to believe. The crowd of mourners have no faith in Jesus; they actually laugh in His face.

But Jairus holds onto his faith, and his daughter is raised from the dead.

Sometimes, we are told that we must have absolute faith for Jesus to act in our lives. This was the faith of the Woman in the crowd. It is wonderful to have complete confidence in the power of Jesus, and we will always be rewarded for such faith.

But sometimes, faith is hard. When we receive bad news - a sudden death, an unexpected illness, a lost opportunity - our hearts break. We wonder where God is in the mess. We struggle with an all-loving God who allows such pain in our lives.

But this is where God is asking us to hold on to Him. "Don't be afraid, just believe..." (8:50 NIV). God can use any bit of faith you have. Even if those around you are laughing at the 'preposterous' idea of God, He can reach through the hurt, even reach past death, to bring healing and new life.

As the old song goes:

Only believe. Only believe.
All things are possible, if you only believe.

(Paul Rader)


Question: When in your life have you struggled to hold on to your faith?


Tomorrow's reading: Luke 9:1-17

(Today's post written by Allison Lynn.)