“ONLY BELIEVE!”

Luke 8:49-56                                                       

“49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the TEACHER any more."

50 But JESUS on hearing this answered him, "DO NOT FEAR; “ONLY BELIEVE”, AND SHE WILL BE WELL."

51 And when HE came to the house, HE allowed no one to enter with HIM, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.

52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but HE said, "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping."

53 And THEY LAUGHED AT HIM, knowing that she was dead.

54 But taking her by the hand HE called, saying, "Child, arise."

55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And HE directed that something should be given her to eat.

56 And her parents were amazed, but HE charged them to tell no one what had happened.”

As I near my 59th year on this earth, I am becoming more and more aware that we are not physically Created to last forever!  It may just be me, but the older I get the more frequent it seems that a younger person doesn’t live even into their teenage years?  Either disease, or accidents, or anything else can cause death to visit earthly bodies with seemingly no respecter of age, nationality, or social status!  If GOD IS IN CONTROL, and HE is, then HE IS IN CONTROL of what we SEE as the bad things as well as the good things! 

While JESUS walked among us, a daughter of a ruler of the synagogue named Jarius was 12 years old, and SHE WAS DYING (Luke 8:41-42)!  Observing a child die is one of the most difficult things I have ever experienced.  I have witnessed my younger sister die (34 years and 3 days old), but only a few years later watched a friend’s daughter die around her 10th birthday.  Not being GOD, we still like to THINK that we know what is best for everyone.  Being upset with GOD for taking someone we love so dearly is not uncommon, but when we realize HE literally holds our lives in HIS HANDS, we can quickly have our SIGHT adjusted.  

The pain of death is something that I don’t have words to describe.  Jarius was a RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, yet he watched as his daughter was dying.  While she was raised from her illness, eventually she had to die!  We ALL do!  One day I will die.  When that time comes, I pray that those who love me understand that ALMIGHTY GOD determined (Psalms 39) a long time ago how long HE would use me for HIS GLORY, and when my days of Glorifying HIM are over, HE will call me HOME!  

ONLY until then, others can LAUGH AT GOD for HIS decision to leave me here, but I WILL PRAISE HIS NAME for HIS mercies!  When sin entered “this world”, our ability to live eternally left “this world”.   We are created IN HIS IMAGE, but we are NOT GOD, no matter how much we think we are!  JESUS, OUR CREATOR, says “DO NOT FEAR; “ONLY BELIEVE”, AND SHE WILL BE WELL."   Likewise, we too can be well, but we MUST “ONLY BELIEVE”!!!