The Jesus Bible Reading Plan / FAITH AND UNBELIEF

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan

Day 360 of 365 FAITH AND UNBELIEF Faith is different from feelings. Feelings are based on circumstances, and they change like the weather. Faith involves acting, trusting and believing that God is real, at work and working for believers' good - regardless of what one may happen to feel at the moment. In fact, sometimes faith leads believers in the opposite direction of feelings. The woman in this passage had been suffering for a long time. As her disorder involved blood, she was perpetually "unclean" (according to Jewish law), and as a result had likely been ostracized by her community. When she heard about the healing power of Jesus, she boldly braved the large crowd and reached out to him in faith. His response: "Daughter, your faith has healed you" (Mk 5:34). God invites people to faithfully trust him for all of life (Pr 3:5 - 6). The way of Jesus is the way of trust. All throughout his life on earth, Jesus demonstrated absolute faith in his Father and challenged his followers to exercise the same kind of faith. For many reasons, people are prone to doubt. Modern western culture is fraught with skepticism. The contemporary search for truth says, "Understand in order to believe." And against this thinking, Jesus has always maintained, "Believe in order to understand." In the struggle with doubt and unbelief, Jesus encourages people, "Don't be afraid; just believe" (Mk 5:36). The way of Jesus is the way of trusting God every day, for this life and the next. Jesus, please don't let me get distracted by feelings, which can be so fickle. I want to believe in you, trust in you and surrender to you, even when I don't feel like it. Amen. Mark 5:24-34 NASB 24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. 25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse- 27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28 For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." 29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?"  31 And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" 32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction." Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,