Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
September 29, 2022
Read: Mark 5:21-43
21 Jesus crossed the lake again, and on the other side, a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders, came forward. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded with him, “My daughter is about to die. Please, come and place your hands on her so that she can be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. A swarm of people was following Jesus, crowding in on him. 25 A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a lot under the care of many doctors and had spent everything she had without getting any better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 Because she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. 28 She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, I’ll be healed. 29 Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed. 30 At that moment, Jesus recognized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 His disciples said to him, “Don’t you see the crowd pressing against you? Yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But Jesus looked around carefully to see who had done it. 33 The woman, full of fear and trembling, came forward. Knowing what had happened to her, she fell down in front of Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34 He responded, “Daughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace, healed from your disease.” 35 While Jesus was still speaking with her, messengers came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying to Jairus, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher any longer?” 36 But Jesus overheard their report and said to the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid; just keep trusting.” 37 He didn’t allow anyone to follow him except Peter, James, and John, James’ brother. 38 They came to the synagogue leader’s house, and he saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “What’s all this commotion and crying about? The child isn’t dead. She’s only sleeping.” 40 They laughed at him, but he threw them all out. Then, taking the child’s parents and his disciples with him, he went to the room where the child was. 41 Taking her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Young woman, get up.” 42 Suddenly the young woman got up and began to walk around. She was 12 years old. They were shocked! 43 He gave them strict orders that no one should know what had happened. Then he told them to give her something to eat.
Good morning! Our God is an awesome God!
Wow! So much in such a short time: a time of teaching, the request to heal the daughter, the unexpected healing of the woman who touched his garment, and the raising of the daughter. When we have a busy day, we are worn out. I believe that each of these events alone would have exhausted Jesus. When he felt power leaving himself when the woman was healed, I imagine him feeling drained.
It would have been easy to say I need to rest, let’s continue this journey tomorrow, but then the messenger arrived saying that the leader’s daughter had died. Jesus overheard the message and told the leader to keep trusting him and they continued to his home where Jesus raised the child from her “sleeping”.
Whenever I begin to feel overwhelmed or that I’ve added one too many things to my plate. I consider this passage and remember that Jesus took the events one at a time and served each believer with love and compassion. He didn’t rush, postpone, or cancel one because the list was too long. Jesus methodically remained focused and served the needs of each. Jesus’ love lifts us and guides us through our challenges and struggles.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. Through your love and strength, we can face our challenges. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Scripture reminds me that God is always near.
Feel the love of Jesus! Pastor Liz
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