When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl's father and mother. Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, "Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep." And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. (Luke 8:51-53 NASB)As they entered the house, everyone was crying and mourning the girl's death. It was a typical death bed scene, with brokenhearted parents, grieving friends and family. The death was so tragic that even the crowd outside was moved.
Jesus, however, looked at all the crying people and said what seemed harsh and callous. "Stop crying, people. She's not really dead. She's just asleep." Jairus and his wife looked at Him and they were, at the least, surprised by His words. What in this world was He thinking? Experts had seen the girl. It was obvious she wasn't breathing. Of course she was dead! His words were so ludicrous that everyone started laughing. They didn't know what Jesus was thinking, saying something so crazy. They knew she was dead. Everyone knew she was dead. The experts (the doctors) knew she was dead. Everyone knew that hope was gone. Everyone, it seemed, but Jesus.
This is a critical juncture in Jairus' journey of faith. On the one hand, people he trusted and considered reliable said his daughter was dead. On the other hand, Jesus said his daughter was not dead, but only sleeping. Who was He going to believe?
Jairus didn't know what to do, so he did the only sensible thing. He kept still and waited to see what God would do. We will soon see that, in the face of conflicting opinions, the only opinion that matters is that of Christ. The only words that matter, are the Words of God.
What about your life? Are people telling you all hope is gone? Are they laughing at your hope in Jesus? Trust anyway. Wait anyway. The end has come only when God says it has come.
As you pray for friends and loved ones, as you consider those difficult circumstances in life, remember that there is only One who sees the beginning and end. Only our triune God knows what the ultimate outcome will be. The outcome you expect may be completely different from the one He has planned, but one thing is certain. His ending is worth waiting to see.
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Link to last night's post is here:
http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/lesson-from-battlefield-part-17-way-to.html
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Please pray for the people of Nigeria, particularly the Borno state, as Boko Haram continues their merciless effort to conquer their country.
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