Mark 5:39-40 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After He put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.
“Talk unbelief, and you will have unbelief; but talk faith, and you will have faith” Ellen G White.
The people we are surrounded by can either pull our faith up or push our faith down. The first thing that Jesus did when He went into the house of Jairus was that He put the unbelieving and cynical crowd out. The 12 year old daughter of Jairus and his only child had just died. “Death Wailing” or crying out the grief aloud was common in the ancient Middle-Eastern culture. Jesus, the giver of all life walked into the house of mourning and silenced the wailing with His life-giving words but they mocked Him. The skeptical howlers were sowing seeds of despondency and disbelief. So Jesus put them out of the house. The unbelieving crowd could not witness the powerful miracle of Jesus raising the dead child back to life. As long as unbelief was in the house the resurrection power could not be released. Ungodly and unbelieving associations and affinities will cap the miracle working power of God.
As Jesus was making His way to the house of Jairus some people from his house came with the news he dreaded and said, “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” (vs 35b). Jesus immediately silenced the voice of distrust and said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (vs 36b). The people we are surrounded by and the voices we listen to will feed our faith or fester formidable fear. Skeptics sow seeds of doubt and kill our faith. Hence it is important to choose the people that we are surrounded by and to scrupulously scrutinize the voices that we listen to.
Choices, Voices and Noises:
1. Push: Choose your associations and affinities carefully. The voices we listen to will either sow seeds of fear or seeds of faith. Doubting voices will sow disbelief about our family, career, finances or future and will push us into doubt and drown us in the ocean of unbelief.
2. Pull: Tune-in to the voice of the Master. When we are inundated with fear and evil foreboding listen to the still small voice of the Saviour. God’s Word and His voice will pull us out of distrust.
3. Put: Silence the voices of logical reasons and deliberations. Jesus put the unbelieving crowd out. Block contacts and sever those who drag your faith down. Those whom we are unable to influence but who infect us with faithlessness should be blocked and severed.
Associations and affinities will affect, infect or influence our faith. So choose carefully the voices and noises that you listen to.
Mark 5:37 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).
Prayer: My Sovereign Saviour, give me the obedience to block, sever and disconnect the noises that sow seeds of doubt and drain my faith. Amen.
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