(Read Mark 5:25-37)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. Yesterday we saw Jesus raised a little girl from the dead. He had living faith for a dead situation. But before He performed the miracle, Jesus did something I mentioned yesterday that I want to further elaborate on today.
Jesus knew the situation was going to be dire when they arrived at the home. He knew mourners going to already be in full-fledged mourning mode. He knew He needed to surround himself with people of faith. So Jesus forbid the crowd and nine of His disciples from going any further. The only disciples Jesus took with Him were His inner circle: Peter, James, and John. And when they arrived at the house Jesus asked everyone who was incapable of believing God for a miracle to leave. It was then and only then, when everyone else was gone and Jesus was surrounded with people of faith, that He did as Jairus declared. Jesus touched the little girl’s body, she came back to life, and she got up and walked around. I told you yesterday that when the pressure is on, you must surround yourself with people of like-precious-faith.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- Make yourself available to God. Peter was FAR from perfect, but he was always willing, and because of it, he quickly became part of Jesus’ inner circle.
- Overcome the fear of failure. Peter made major mistakes, he failed on multiple occasions, but he also had huge successes because he was not afraid of trying.
- Take chances. Peter was the only disciple to even attempt to get out of the boat when Jesus was walking on water. As a result, he was the only one to do what Jesus did. You will never walk on water if you don’t get out of the boat. You will never hit a homerun if you don’t take a swing. You will never make a shot you don’t take. Peter was not perfect, but Jesus wanted him around when the ‘chips were down’, because Peter was not afraid.
- Be yourself. Peter boldly declared that he would never deny Jesus, and he wound up doing it three times. Peter courageously defended Jesus when He was being arrested, cutting a man’s ear off with his sword. Jesus put the ear back and rebuked Peter, but I am sure Jesus got a chuckle out of it. My point is that Peter made lots of missteps, but he was always himself, and God was able to use him because of it. God will use you when you stop trying to be someone else.
- Prove yourself trustworthy. Peter may have made many mistakes, but Jesus trusted him. When the pressure was on, when a little girl’s life was on the line, when death had already taken hold of her soul, Jesus wanted Peter in the room. Would He want you? Can you be trusted? You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be trustworthy.
- You have a part. Grace is God’s part. He has already given you everything you need to become the person He birthed you to be. But you have a part. You must develop your faith. You must prove yourself trustworthy. You must be loyal to God. You must develop Godly character. Remember, God has already given you the grace to do all of this, but you must be willing to do it. If you are willing, by God’s grace you will be able, and as much as you can count on God, you will find God counting on you!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. It is by faith that I declare myself trustworthy. I am loyal to You. I acknowledge no other god or deity. You alone are God and You alone are my Lord. I am dedicated to You. I live every second of every day seeking to please You. I live my life in honor of Jesus’ death. I am available to You. I may not be perfect, but I am available. When You speak to me, You know I am always ready to be used. I put Your plans above my own and I am always willing to shift my schedule to accommodate Your plans and purposes. I am not afraid of failure. I have failed enough already not to be afraid of it. My heart is open to believe and my legs are ready to achieve ALL You lead me to do. I see the invisible and attempt the impossible, even at the risk of looking foolish. And because I do, I am able to accomplish what other can’t because they won’t even try. I know I trust You, but by faith I declare that You can trust me. Not because I am so good, but because Your grace has made me trustworthy. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
