Scripture Reflection 5 "Do not be afraid; just have faith." - Mark 5:36
7/01/2012 12:18:00 PM
Every time we experience the
hardest in life, we tend to pray. Let’s all face it. There are more petition
prayers than thanksgiving. Wonder why? It is because we address more of our
need to God. But let me ask you: Do you “ask and believe” or you “ask and
doubt”?
They say, the more you expect,
the more disappointment you are bound to have. That’s what we experience with
other aspects in life. Sometimes, we expect to pass a subject and end up
failing. We expect getting the job opportunity but end up being turned down.
There are lots of disappointments around us and there are more to come out
there.
But with the woman in the
gospel, it was a different case. Remember she said, “If I but touch his
clothes, I shall be cured.” Who would even think of being healed with just a
touch of someone’s robe? The woman thought of it and it wasn’t just someone
ordinary. It was Jesus. And when Jesus saw the woman, He said to her, “Daughter,
your faith has served you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”
This miracle happened a long
time ago. But the power of Jesus’ healing never withers. Sometimes, we are so
corrupted and occupied with the pain we feel. Sometimes we feel so hurt and
afflicted that we feel like we cannot cope up anymore. The woman had her
hemorrhages for twelve years already and yet she still believed that even with
just a touch of the clothes of Jesus, she can be healed. And she was.
At the same time, Jesus also
said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
In times when we feel
down-trodden, it helps to remember Jesus saying personally to us: “Do not be
afraid; just have faith.”
Many times, we say to ourselves
that we have a strong faith and that we believe in God. Yet many times, doubt
comes into our way. Are we still waiting to witness miracles like those of the
Bible for us to be able to believe? Are we still waiting for Jesus to stand
right in front of us and raise up someone who died? Disappointing to think but
there are some of us at a certain part of our life who waits for these things
to happen.
Let me share to you a simple
definition of what faith is. Faith is firm belief
in the traditional doctrines of a religion. This is all according to Mr.
Webster.
Let me take you deeper.
Faith is the realization of
what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. By faith, we understand that
the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into
being through the invisible. (Hebrews 11:1, 3)
Faith is not just merely
believing. It is the act of believing that we, the visible exists now because
of God, the invisible. It is in the complete surrender to His mighty will that
we can come to the fullest.
We don’t need to come and
witness every amazing miracle that happened in the Bible for us to believe that
Jesus is God and that He is powerful. Ever saw the movie “A Walk To Remember”?
Jamie had a lot of things she wanted to do while she still has time to live and
Landon wants to help her fulfill everything on her list. He was able to fulfill
everything in her list before she died except the one to witness a miracle. But
he never realized that he was the miracle for Jamie. He was transformed to a
better person. Jamie put her faith in Landon that he can be a good person
despite everything he has done.
You see, we look for
complicated events when we can say a big “woah!” and consider it a miracle. But
we never come to see that every day is a miracle. Isn’t it amazing that we come
to be away from our senses for how many hours and then still manage to open up
our eyes and go on for another day? That’s the miracle of life.
Now, I ask you again. Do you
“ask and believe” or “ask and doubt”?
I tell you, whenever you pray,
claim and believe that it will happen. But as you claim, never forget that in
whatever we wish and want to happen, it will always be God’s will that shall
take place in our lives. And it does not mean that God does not answer our
prayers. It’s just that we pray, God thinks about it, God gives us an answer.
The answer could be a “yes”, a “no”, or sometimes, “not now”. But always remember
that whatever God’s answer is, it is the best for us.
“for we walk by faith, not by
sight.” (2 Cor 5:7)
God didn't promise
days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did
promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. If
God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Just let go and let
God. Keep the faith.
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