Session 40

Why your faith is important

From Mark: A 6-Week Devotional

Jesus performed many wonders and miracles during His life. In Mark 5, a distinguished ruler asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his sick daughter. While Jesus was on His way to the ruler’s house, a bleeding woman reached out to Him. With one touch, her body was healed. Before Jesus reached the ruler’s house, word came that his daughter was dead. But Jesus was not done. He honored the man’s faith, and the little girl was raised from the dead.

The common denominator in both cases of healing is that the ruler and bleeding woman believed. They believed Jesus was who He said He was, and He honored their faith.

Healing still happens today, and it still starts with faith. Too often, we allow our earthly experiences to shape our heavenly expectations. When our lives have been shaped by shattered dreams and broken promises, it’s tempting to believe that following Jesus will lead to more of the same.

God is pleased when we trust Him. When we are tempted to lose our faith, remember Jesus’ words to the dad who thought his daughter was dead, “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (Mark 5:36).

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He healed people then, and He heals people now. When we are challenged in our faith, we can still be confident that God is faithful and our faithfulness to God is always honored.

Reflect:

• What’s one area of your life where you need to have faith and trust God?
• How have you seen God honor your faith in the past? What did that experience teach you about God’s ability to be trusted?
• Need to talk to someone about what you’re struggling with? Email us at hello@newspring.cc.