It is by faith that we subdue contrary circumstances. However, whenever you engage faith it may seem that the situation you want to tame may be going from bad to worse. Your faith will always be tested, and usually fear is the question. Always respond to fear by faith. When you believe fear you contaminate your faith.
This week I would want to show you what to do when challenges appear to turn from bad to worse. This was the experience of Jairus, the ruler of the Synagogue, who came to Jesus to ask Him to come and heal his dying daughter at home. No doubt for anyone in this situation time was of the essence. Yet the Bible says as they were going to Jairus’ home, with the crowd thronging Jesus a woman who had had an issue of blood for twelve years touched Jesus garments, saying within herself, “ if I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” Many people in Jairus shoes would have despaired as Jesus stopped on the way to ask, “Who touched me? Even the disciples were exasperated. They said to Him, \”Look at this crowd pressing around You. How can You ask, \’Who touched Me?\’\” Mark 5:31 (NLT). But Jesus still took the time to address the woman who touched him. He said to her, “…..Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague’’ (emphasis mine)
Unfortunately for Jairus while Jesus talked with this woman, the message of his daughter’s death came through. This was a fear attack, a test of Jairus’ faith. The message from Jairus’ house was pregnant with fear but before it could deliver, Jesus responded swiftly to keep Jairus in faith. “Don\’t be afraid. Just have faith”. (verse 36 -NLT). You must feed your faith with the Word of God always.
To Jesus, all the challenges you are faced with are issues for faith; not for human wisdom, not for a specialist. What do you say when you hear that the challenge has gone worse? The Bible says Jesus responded immediately because He knew that word was going to breed fear in the heart of Jairus and would negate whatever He was doing. If Jesus’ power could override everybody’s faith, He would not have said anything to Jairus, but would have simply followed him to the House to heal his daughter.
No matter what your circumstances are your faith has more of a role to play in providing a solution than any external factors. By all means seek help where you can, but do not let down your faith. Remember that Jesus had told the woman a few minutes ago, “Daughter, thy faith – not the power that came out of me; thy faith – has made thee whole. No problem is too big for your faith to conquer!
To continue with Jairus’ miracle experience, when they got to the house there was weeping and wailing, as is the reaction when a loved one dies. Jesus asked why they were weeping, because to Him the girl was only sleeping and not dead. The mourners could not help but switch from tears to laughter. Jesus then asked them all leave, leaving only Himself, the girl’s father and mother and His three disciples in the room where the girl was lying. He then proceeded to bring the girl back to life.
It is time to take inventory of your life. There are people who do not deserve the access you are giving them into your life-they do not deserve to be around you. If your friends are people who do not believe in where you are going or what you believe in, then they are not friends, irrespective of how long they have been with you. The doubters laughed at Jesus when He made that faith declaration.
If you are faced with any challenge today it is your responsibility to bring that challenge into contact with the presence and power of God, and that happens by faith. Do not be moved when things appear to be going from bad to worse. Like Jairus, only believe. Faith will always deliver the desired result.