Impatient Waiting

I’ve been to many funerals. I’ve yet to see the deceased rise up from the coffin and thank me for coming. I suppose there are scenes like this in horror movies, but movie-makers have ways of making you believe things like that can actually happen. Jesus was never in a movie, but He used His real power and mercy to raise people from the dead. There’s a riveting scene, recorded by both Mark and Luke, when Jesus brings a twelve-year-old girl back to life. Her father, Jairus, came to Jesus, fell at His feet, and pleaded with Him to come heal his daughter because she was dying. Jairus was a very prominent man in the synagogue, and he must have been desperate to even consider this wandering healer named Jesus as a solution to his daughter’s peril. Needless to say, Jairus was probably beyond anxious.To make matters worse, as Jesus was on His way to Jairus’s house, a woman in the crowd with a bleeding disorder of many years touched the edge of Jesus’s robe. The whole procession stopped as Jesus perceived healing power going out of Him. Jesus wouldn’t move on until He had spoken to this woman face to face.I imagine Jairus was close to pulling his hair out at this point. A lowly peasant woman had stopped the progress to where his daughter lay dying. What was Jesus thinking! But our Lord calmly assessed the situation, knowing the hearts of all involved. He comforted the woman, and not long after, He arrived at Jairus’s house, held the hand of the deceased girl, and uttered these words: “Talitha koum!” which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41).You may find yourself pacing the floor or getting depressed waiting for God to act. We are impatient creatures. But God does see, and He does act. Even though the twelve-year-old girl died before Jesus arrived, it wasn’t too late. Jesus raised her from the dead. In a similar way, all seemed lost after Jesus died on the cross. But the story wasn’t over. Jesus rose from the dead—beating sin and death once and for all!We may not see the healing we ask for in this life, but when Jesus returns, He will raise all His forgiven followers from the dead, and we will live with Him forever—free from all suffering and sorrow. And as we wait on Him, He holds our hearts. So stay calm, and trust the One who loves us. The day of your healing will come. • Susan Sundwall• What do you think it will be like when Jesus raises us from the dead? (John 6:40)Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Read Verses:

John 6:40; Psalm 27:14; Mark 5:21-Mark 5:43; Luke 8:40-Luke 8:56