BE NOT AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE

 LUKE 8:49-56

     49    While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

     50    But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

     51    And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

     52    And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

     53    And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

     54    And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.

     55    And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

     56    And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

----Every promise of God in Christ Jesus are all truth and they are all ours if we will just BELIEVE. In the above verses, the Lord showed us and gave us example that we should not look at anything that would tell us different from what His Word is saying. Skeptics and critics may say “it isn’t true”. Logic and reason may disagree with it. And even our own senses may declare otherwise. Did not all those who heard the Lord when He said “she is not dead but sleepeth” laugh Him to scorn? Did not him who came from Jairus’ house told them that the damsel is already dead while they were on their way to heal her? Well, she was indeed dead when they arrived. And  even the Scripture is telling us that ” her spirit came back to her”. By it we can know that she was dead before it came back to her. For the body without the spirit is dead as it is written in James 2:26. Therefore, if she was dead, did the Lord tell them a lie for saying she is not dead but sleeps? Of course not , ‘cause if He did, He would not have been the perfect Sacrifice. And besides, He is our Lord who once said “who can condemn me of sin?”  

But then why did He say she was just sleeping when she was already dead? It is because our Lord was not looking at the “REALITY” through His natural senses. He was looking at what His “FAITH”  sees. By faith even the ‘reality’ becomes vanity and unreal. If we are sick and afflicted but have faith to believe that by His stripes we are healed (isaiah 53:5) then  this promise is even more real than what we see or feel. The same is true with all the promises of God.

Now, when we believe we should confess what we believe. The Lord believed and confessed it saying “she is not dead but sleepeth.” No matter how people may mock you and laugh at you, don’t be afraid to speak out what your faith declares. For it was written , “and they laugh him to scorn”. For the servant is not greater than his Master.

Finally, when we believe we should act like it. The Lord did not say “damsel come back to life” but rather said “damsel arise”. Our action should agree with our faith. If we say “I believe” and act another way, this only means that wwe do not truly believe. Abraham believed that God will give him a son who shall be the heir of all his possession. But when God commanded him to offer up Isaac, he did not stagger at the promise of God and was determined to sacrifice him believing that God is able to raise Isaac back to life.