The 
Phases of Faith
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
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My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, sometimes in my life, I forget that You are in charge. I forget that You are in charge of life and death, so You are certainly in charge of the situations and relationship of my life. I pray that You will give me “eyes to see, and ears to hear” You at work in me and around me today. I pray that You will give me spiritual discernment so that I can know when I am facing overwhelming situations that You are with me, that when I face the feelings of being crushed by life that You are with me, and that even when I “despair of life itself” as the Apostle Paul once put it, that I can know that You are with me. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit right now that I may glorify You in my life today. Give me wisdom to know and to do all that You command in my life. Use me to encourage others who face crushing, overwhelming dead-ends in their lives, and free them to rely on You for the deliverance. These things I pray in the strong and trustworthy name of Jesus, our risen Savior and Lord. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Mark 5:21-23
21When Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22A leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, 23pleading with him to heal his little daughter. “She is about to die,” he said in desperation. “Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”
Reflecting on God's Word
How do you respond to the reality of physical death—your own, and those around you whom you love?
Why do you suppose that Jairus, a synagogue leader, turned to Jesus who the Jewish leaders disapproved of in this situation?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
Who are the main characters in today’s account? (5:21-23)
What is the “problem” that Jesus is asked to address? (5:21-23)
What is Jairus’ specific request? (5:21-23)
Understanding God's Purpose
At the close of this account, Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead. What does this tell us about God’s purpose for our lives?
What does Jesus coming to the aid of a synagogue ruler tell us about God’s purpose for all people?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What do we see in Jairus’ faith that can help us in developing our own?
Thoughts...The Sense That "Life's Over" That Comes from Dead-Ends...
Jairus faced the biggest “dead-end” imaginable. His daughter was dying. Jairus was a synagogue ruler—a devout Jew, and a leader among them. The leadership of the Jews had concluded that Jesus was a radical and a trouble-maker. They would soon condemn Him for His life and ministry. Yet Jairus turned to Jesus for help. Why? Because Jairus was desperate. His daughter was dying. Nothing else had worked in bringing about healing. No doubt Jairus had heard of Jesus, the miracle worker, not just Jesus the trouble maker. In his situation, he would do anything. The amazing part of the story is that Jesus didn’t even hesitate to help Jairus. Jesus didn’t care that Jairus was a Jewish leader, or that Jairus’ associates had already started to condemn Him. He took the opportunity to bring life out of death, to bring hope out of despair, to bring deliverance out of a dead-end! That’s what Jesus does—that’s what Jesus IS: the great deliverer, the great life-giver, the great hope bringer. In the dead-ends of our lives, let’s remember that Jesus is always with us, that He’s still in the “business” of bring hope out of despair, life out of death, and deliverance out of dead-ends!