Devotional thoughts tagged as: 'miracles'


Faith Healing

Mark 5:21-43

When the messengers from the house of Jarus came with news that his daughter had died, Jesus counselled the father not to fear, but to believe (v. 36). Jesus needed and wanted the faith of the father and others to make the healing or resuscitation easier. When he got there to the house he found the neighbours in mourning. He asked the reason for the uproar, since the child was not dead but sleeping (v.39). They reacted with laughter. Jesus sent the unbelieving group away. He went in to the girl with her parents and his closest disciples. For him to do a miracle there needed to be a climate of faith. It seems most of Jesus' healings were faith healings.

What can you do to create a climate of faith in your family, church or work place?


Blocked Entry

During my prayer time, I was thinking of the veterans who have to wait a year for treatment. Mark 2:1-12 came to mind. Many people gathered around Jesus in a home and the paralytic and the people carrying him could not get in to be healed by Jesus. They had their entry blocked. However, nothing was going to prevent those who carried the paralytic from gaining access to Jesus for their friend.

In life I am sure some of us will be blocked from gaining entry to many things, sometimes due to a lack of imagination, faith or the willingness to take a risk. When you do, remember the friends of the paralytic mentioned in Mark 2:1-12.

After a few days, Jesus went back to Capernaum, and people heard that he was at home. So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. They couldn't carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven!"

Some legal experts were sitting there, muttering among themselves, "Why does he speak this way? He's insulting God. Only the one God can forgive sins."

Jesus immediately recognized what they were discussing, and he said to them, "Why do you fill your minds with these questions? Which is easier—to say to a paralyzed person, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take up your bed, and walk'? But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed, "Get up, take your mat, and go home."

Jesus raised him up, and right away he picked up his mat and walked out in front of everybody. They were all amazed and praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!"


All devotional thoughts