By Grace Through Faith

Happy New Year!! With the start of a new year, I love spending some time reflecting on the previous year and praying over an intention with a new year to come. I enjoy selecting a word for the year. I’ve done this for several years now, and I think it is such a wonderful way to be able to see God move within my life through the journey.

My word for 2024 was rejoice. With 2024, there were many celebratory moments and events to rejoice over! Rejoicing in the mundane day to day also allowed me to slow down and notice something filled with light each day, even if it felt smaller on some days than others.

There were also unexpected challenges within 2024 as well, that I continued to cling to Romans 5:3-5, “not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Even through the storms, the challenges of life, and the unexpected sorrows, God continues to be with us through it all. He comforts us with His Spirit. He stays with us through the night, and He allows us to find light and joy in the new morning.

I want to share a story found in Mark 5 with you today because it is one that I have loved reading again through this past year. I also watched this scene displayed in the Chosen series, and it was so moving:

“Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. – Mark 5:22-42

When we look at Jairus and the bleeding woman, we see the belief that they had of Jesus. They believed that He was the man He said He was. They believed in the ways He could heal. They believed, and they both took a step out in faith to come to Jesus for healing.

And for Jairus, after hearing that his daughter had died, Jesus commands him to not fear and to believe. How much does belief change our mindset? How much does the belief of Jesus, being who He is, being fully the Son of Man change our doubts, worries, or fears into confidence, assurance, and faith of Christ.

For this new year, choosing the word believe, I pray that I can not only know, but fully continue to believe in who Jesus is, without fear and without doubt over worldly rulers or troubles. Believing that He is The Healer, The Comforter, The Prince of Peace, and The Good Shepherd that He is, with the same belief that the bleeding woman, Jairus, and many others before us have lived and stepped out of faith with.

Wishing you a joyous new year friend.

With love,

Claire