To…Believe | DECIDE | Luke 8:40-56, 1 John 3:1

Every single day this week, you and I are going to figure out what God says to do in the Bible and we are going to decide to do it. You’re not alone. I’m right there with you, working on this stuff, trusting Jesus and believing that He’s good. Trust & believe that He has your best interests, and my best interests, at heart when He’s making decisions about how and when to answer our prayers.

Show Notes:

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Transcription:

What does it mean to believe? I just looked it up. To accept something as true. To feel sure of the truth of. You might’ve already guessed it. Today, you and I are going to decide to believe on the Bible for Busy People. Hi, I’m Erica, your host, and every single day this week, you and I are going to figure out what God says to do in the Bible and we are going to decide to do it. You’re not alone. I’m right there with you working on this stuff, trusting Jesus and believing that he’s good. Believing that he has your best interests and my best interests at heart when he’s making decisions about how and when to answer our prayers. So here’s our goal for today. By the end of this episode, may you and I feel so sure of everything we believe. May we put our complete trust and faith in Jesus. He is the only one who is worthy of your trust and faith in mine. I want to invite you to join me now in Luke chapter eight. But before we begin reading the story, I want to explain where Jesus was before this happened. He was very busy casting out a whole bunch of demons out of one man. That man was set free from those demons. Jesus cast them into a herd of pigs who ran into a lake and drowned. Man! Whoever said the Bible was boring was a hundred percent wrong. So that is what happened before this story took place. Luke eight now beginning in verse 40.

On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him.

I want to pitch a tiny tent. I know it’s early in the story, but what are you waiting for right now? And my question is, are you waiting for that thing or are you waiting on him? I know what I want to decide to do today. Verse 41.

Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. 42 His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. 43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

I think it’s beautiful that Jesus called this woman, “daughter.” I imagine she felt unclean all the time, like an outcast as if she didn’t belong, and Jesus claimed her as his own. He was saying, God is your father and you are loved. Is he saying that to you today? Do you know how loved you are? Verse 49 now,

While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” 50 But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.” 51 When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother. 52 The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” 53 But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died. 54 Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, “My child, get up!” 55 And at that moment her life[c] returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.

I’m just wondering here in these moments together, if Jesus is speaking to you right now and saying, my child, get up. Maybe you have been feeling so down about a certain situation in life and people are telling you all kinds of negative things. Maybe people are being cruel to you. I don’t know what your situation is, and you are so down, but Jesus through his Word today is telling you, get up. He wants to put life in you again. Isn’t it beautiful the way the Word says it? At that moment, the little girl’s life returned and she immediately stood up. What if right now Jesus wants to fill you with life? I know he does. He is the bread of life. He is the living water. Let Him fill you right now. Let him satisfy you with his love and his goodness. It’s for you. You are his child. I didn’t see the connection until now. But isn’t it beautiful how he called the woman who had the issue of blood, that’s how she’s referred to in history, the woman with the issue of blood… He called her “daughter” and now he says to this little girl who was dead, get up my child. Today, maybe you feel dead inside. Maybe you feel like an outcast, and Jesus is calling you daughter or son, and Jesus is telling you, get up my child. John, in his first letter, chapter three, verse one says this to you and to me.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Let the Father lavish his love upon you right now. It’s for you. You can believe it today. Decide to believe it. Until next time, you are really loved.

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