Mark 5:36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

This is of course another of the stories that is recorded by multiple Gospel writers, but each one includes different details. These particular words of Jesus have encouraged countless people in the centuries since Jesus spoke them. Sometimes the “objective facts” don’t line up with spiritual reality. As Paul stated clearly, “We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) That can be really difficult at times! A major issue is the matter of wishful thinking, which is not the same as faith. The Left encourages and engages in in that sort of thing all the time, telling people things like, “You can change your gender.” That isn’t faith, it’s attempted witchcraft, which is the supernatural manipulation of things. Witchcraft is very attractive to our flesh, because in principle it leaves us in control. Faith, in contrast, is submission to whatever God says, whether it agrees with our senses or not. We would like to “wave a wand” and change things the way we like, but that is putting man in a place that belongs only to God. That desire is precisely what got Lucifer thrown out of heaven! Some “word of faith” teachers get dangerously close to the line when it comes to witchcraft. God’s promises are indeed magnificent, but they are ultimately for His glory, and not to pamper us. We need to focus on being obedient children, knowing that our heavenly Father’s plans for us are always good, however difficult they might seem along the way.

I too have indulged in wishful thinking, and indeed have been temp­ted by witchcraft. As an avid reader, I have long enjoyed fantasy and science fiction, and at times my imagination has run wild in that direction. However, I have always come back to the reality that God is God and I’m not, and that’s a very good thing. I couldn’t begin to handle even the smallest fraction of all the factors involved, not to mention the unintended consequences, if I were able to make edicts on my own. I will never forget one time when I was lying in bed, not actively praying but just thinking, “There are so many things I wish were different.” To my great shock, the Lord spoke to me very clearly at that moment, “How do you think I feel?” I was flooded with the awareness that, though there are many things that don’t currently agree with His character, He hasn’t abandoned any of it, or us, and He has a plan to bring it all into resolution. Sometimes His plan is clear, and sometimes it is invisible to our natural senses. It is in those latter times that we need to take Jesus’ words here to heart.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There are indeed many things that “it would be nice” if they were different. Help me trust You fully and be at peace with Your timing, allowing You to grow me through all You take me through, so that I may be Your agent on more and more levels in more and more situations, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!