Luke 8:41-9:6 Jairus had just heard the news that his daughter was dead. Can you imagine his amazement when he heard Jesus say, “Fear not, believe only?” This story has a happy ending because Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead.
As we have studied earlier, fear always nullifies faith. The product of fear is unbelief. The product of faith is hope, and we all need hope. Have you heard people say, “Now don’t get your hopes up, because you may be disappointed”? What a statement of unbelief this is. If we are afraid to get our hopes up because we fear that we will be disappointed, what is controlling us? Fear is controlling us.
If we knew the author and finisher of our faith a little better, we would always have our hopes up. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, and He also is the bishop of our souls. Hope is an anchor for our souls, and Jesus is our only hope. When we place our hope in Jesus instead of circumstances, we will always have our hopes up. Our hope is built on nothing else than Jesus and His righteousness. We stand on Christ our solid rock, who alone can keep us from the sinking sands of unbelief and discouragement.
I believe that Jairus was able to fear not and believe only because he kept his eyes on Jesus. He probably did not even look at his dead daughter. He looked at Jesus, and then he knew that Jesus was able to even raise his daughter from the dead.
Lord, help me to always put my hope in You. You are the author and finisher of my faith, and You do all things well.
READ: Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23; Luke 8:41-9:6; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 12:5-7
