Experience the Gospel of MarkSample

All in Time

The story of Jairus’ daughter and the sick woman is yet another powerful example of faith in the Gospel of Mark. The story begins with a religious man named Jairus who has tremendous faith. He truly believes that if Jesus was willing, He could heal his severely ill daughter. After agreeing to see Jairus’ daughter, Jesus is interrupted by a sick woman who has similar faith to Jairus. She has been sick for over a decade and years of seeing doctors have not healed her. Despite her sickness, she believes Jesus has the power to heal her. In fact, The Message phrases her faith like this, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” She believed just by touching Jesus’ garment she could receive healing--and that is exactly what happened!

While this reality is remarkable news for the sick woman, Jairus’ daughter passes away while Jesus interacts with the woman. Hope is lost—Jairus’ household thinks Jesus has not responded in time. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation, Jesus still travels to Jairus’ house where his family and friends are mourning the passing of the young girl. In an incredible scene, Jesus brings the girl back to life—and orders her lunch!

As we see in this passage, God’s plan is often different from our plan. In the hearts and minds of everyone involved in this scene, Jesus is “too late” in His response to the people’s needs. No one could have possibly blamed them for thinking this way—Jairus’ daughter had passed away. Jesus, however, has another plan in mind. His plan involved an even more incredible display of power and healing, but His timeline was different than what the people expected.

Sometimes when we seek God, we need to remember that He operates in His time and according to His plan. God never forgets about you or runs late on accident. Accepting God’s timing and plan, however, requires faith from us! No matter what hardship you are facing, God is able to use any situation to show His power. Never give up faith!

Bottom Line: God’s plan and timing is perfect but often different than ours.

Experience-

What is one situation, person, or circumstance that you think God has “forgotten” about?

What do you wish God would do in this situation? Pray and ask Him to do it today.

What can you learn about God or yourself as you wait for His response?

Pick a random time of day—any time. Maybe it is 8:12 or 10:10. Every day at that time, remind yourself that God’s timing is different than yours.