An Atmosphere for Producing Results
And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. ~ Mark 5:40
What you allow around you can determine what God is able to produce through you. Have you ever received a direction from God and felt that excitement rise up inside of you, knowing you are about to take a step of faith? Then almost immediately, you share it with someone close to you, and instead of encouragement, you are met with the many reasons why it won’t work.
Most of the time, they are not trying to hurt you. They believe they are helping. But they are not considering that you are following the leading of the Holy Spirit and that God already has a plan in place for you to follow.
This is exactly what Jairus experienced when he brought Jesus to his home. By the time they arrived, the atmosphere was filled with grief because his daughter had died. The people were sincere in their sorrow, but when Jesus said she was only sleeping, they ridiculed Him. They were convinced they knew better.
I love what Jesus did next. He put them all outside.
That was bold. It was not even His house. These were likely friends and relatives of Jairus, people he had known for years. Some may have been offended, some may have felt hurt, and I’m sure they questioned why Jairus allowed it.
But Jesus was not concerned about their opinions because He was protecting the environment of faith for a miracle.
It was not about needing quiet or about being annoyed with the wailing. It was about the unbelief that was in the heart of those at Jairus’ house. Jesus refused to allow doubt, negative words, and opposing attitudes to interfere with what God was about to do.
Scripture shows us that what we are holding onto in our hearts matters. Even Jesus could do no mighty works in His own hometown because of unbelief, (See Matthew 13:58). That tells us something powerful. Our heart, our attitude, and the voices we allow around us play a significant role in the release of God’s power into our circumstances.
If you want to walk fully in what God is leading you to do and what He wants to do in your life, there will be times you must make a choice. You can’t hold onto the opinions of others and expect to move forward in faith at the same time.
There are moments when you will have to quiet the outside voices so you can stay focused on what God has already promised you. Sometimes that means creating distance from doubt. Sometimes it means not sharing everything too soon and sometimes it means choosing to believe God even when no one else understands.
If you keep surrounding your faith with unbelief, it will be harder to move forward. But when you protect what God has placed in your heart, you open up the way for Him to move.
Here are some ways to get started today:
- Pay attention to the voices you are listening to, ask yourself if they are building your faith or feeding your doubt
- Be wise about who you share God given direction with, choose people who will encourage your obedience
- Limit conversations that pull you away from what God has spoken, even if they sound reasonable
- Strengthen your confidence by going back to the Word and reminding yourself of His promises
- Take one step of obedience today, even if it feels small, movement builds momentum
God is not asking you to isolate yourself from people, but He is asking you to guard what He is doing in you and through you. There is too much at stake to let doubt have a voice in your decisions.
Today I want to encourage you to protect the word God has spoken over your life, to quiet every voice that contradicts His truth, and to step forward in faith with confidence, knowing that when you trust Him fully, you are creating the space for Him to produce results that only He can bring.
Today’s scripture reading: Mark 5:35-43
35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.
39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.
41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.
43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
Journal:
- What has God recently placed on your heart that requires a step of faith
- Are there any voices or opinions that have caused you to hesitate or question what God said
- Who in your life encourages your faith and helps you move forward in obedience
- What is one step you can take today to protect and act on what God has spoken to you
- How can you strengthen your focus on God’s truth when doubt tries to enter your thoughts
The Daily Dose 