The Challenges of Life

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Life has many challenges. Faith helps us overcome them. Faith can move mountains and turn impossible situations around. Faith trusts God to work out all things for our good, even if our circumstances seem hopeless. The challenges of life are real; and we need real faith to handle them well and overcome them. The psalmist's strategy when faced with fear was to trust God and praise Him (Psalm 56:3; see E41). We noticed how people have observed that fear kills more dreams than failure ever will. Fear can paralyse us and we therefore need faith to conquer fear so our hearts are at peace and courageous. The psalmist's heart was steadfast in midst of storms because he trusted God (Psalm 57:7; see E42). God is faithful and can be trusted. God encourages us to be strong and courageous for He is with us (Joshua 1:9; Hebrews 13:5-6). He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound-mind (2 Timothy 1:7). The prophet was filled with power because of God's Spirit (Micah 3:8), the power God infuses us with to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Faith makes us confident and His Spirit makes us courageous. We can live a life of faith over fear!

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As we set out on our adventure of faith (D8), we can take great encouragement from Scripture. There were many men and women and children whose example still inspires us today. Yet each one of us is on their own adventure. We need to have our own faith in God to lead and empower us for the journey ahead. We can see in the life of Jesus, how He was on an adventure of faith in order to fulfil His mission given by God. He came to inspire faith in God and demonstrate His love and power in remarkable ways. 'Have faith in God,' was His encouragement (Mark 11:22). God can move mountains as you pray with faith (vv 23-24) and a pure heart (vv 25-26). The adventure of faith is not such that all will be smooth and easy, but we will be empowered to be brave and courageous in life and face the challenges to overcome them. By doing so, we can set an example to inspire others. 

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The Daughter & the Woman

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In this passage of Scripture (Mark 5:21-43), two women received miracles. A synagogue official's daughter was sick to the point of death and he asked Jesus to come and make her well (vv 22-23). His name was Jairus and he had faith. On the way to his house with Jesus, a woman with a blood haemorrhage approached Jesus in the crowd around Him with a faith that made her say, 'If I just touch His garments, I will get well' (v 28). She had faith, too. Her blood flow stopped immediately and she was healed of her disease (v 29). Having felt power going out from Him, Jesus asked who had touched His garments (v 30). The disciples, seeing the crowds pressing all around them, were wondering why He was asking such a question (v 31). Jesus knew a miracle had taken place (v 32). The woman came to Him to share her story of what just happened (v 33). The reason she was 'fearing and trembling' is because she was not supposed to be among people, let alone touching anyone. This was a matter of ritual unclearness as well as a health issue. Mark tells us that she had this condition for twelve years and no one could help her. She was confined to her home and life must have been lonely and painful, even hopeless. Yet her faith made her not give up that one day things would be different.

 

By meeting Jesus, that day had come. Instead of reprimanding her for touching Him and being among people in close proximity, Jesus commended her for her faith: 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease' (v 34). The healing came to her because of her faith and brought her peace. This is the power of God we can access by faith. The circumstances were unorthodox, to say the least, yet she wanted and needed this miracle. Her whole life was determined by this terrible condition, yet Jesus healed her and gave her a life worth living.​ When Jesus heals us, He removes those constraints that sickness brings upon us. 

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While this scenario was taking place, people from Jairus' house came with bad news: his daughter had died. They also discouraged him from bringing Jesus to the house by saying, 'Why bother the Teacher [Jesus] further?' (v 35). Scripture does not tell us what went through Jairus' head or how he felt. We can only imagine how painful and difficult this must have been. Sometimes, changing circumstances can shake our faith and crush our hopes. These are difficult moments. But we do read about Jesus' response to him when He overheard these discouraging words. Jesus said to Jairus, 'do not be afraid, only believe' (v 36). Was Jairus' faith shaken by the bad news? Was his faith such that he could believe Jesus to heal the sick child but not believe that He could raise her from the dead? Was he disappointed that Jesus didn't get to his sick daughter on time? Was he resentful that the woman took up precious time to get the Healer to his house on time? Did he compare himself to the woman who received a healing miracle while his daughter died? Was he angry at God? We don't know, but how would we have felt ad reacted? We might rightly assume that Jairus had to hear these powerful words of Jesus: 'do not be afraid, only believe.' Jesus encouraged him to believe and not give into fear. It was a matter of faith over fear! 

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In another dramatic incident of Jesus encouraging faith in God, He told a man with a sick child that 'all things are possible to him who believes' (Mark 9:23b). Here Mark tells us about the man's reaction: 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!' (v 24). This is an interesting response. Did he believe or didn't he? Or was it that he had faith, yet also doubts? Jesus' response to believe in God so that all things will become possible, was to the man's prior statement that 'if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us' (v 22). The 'if' was an issue for Jesus: 'if you can believe' (v 23a). It wasn't a matter of 'if' Jesus is able, but rather about believing that for God all things are possible! Jesus didn't reprimand the man for lack of faith or abandon him because he had doubts. Jesus was compassionate and performed yet another powerful miracle. Jesus encouraged faith in God, yet understood that in life's difficult challenges and painful situations, doubt can creep in. He was patient with the man, encouraged him to believe and healed the sick child. So even if we have a doubt, or struggle to believe, we are encouraged to believe, for nothing is impossible for God when we believe!

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