I read the story of a mother and her four-year-old daughter were preparing to retire for the night. The child was afraid of the dark, and the mother, on this occasion alone with the child, felt fearful also. When the light was out, the child caught a glimpse of the moon outside the window. “Mother,” she asked, “is the moon God’s light?”“Yes,” said the mother.The next question was, “Will God put out His light and go to sleep?”The mother replied, “No, my child, God never goes to sleep.”Then out of the simplicity of a child’s faith, she said that which gave reassurance to the fearful mother, “Well, as long as God is awake, there is no sense both of us staying awake.”There is so much that causes us to be afraid. We fear for our future, fear for our families, fear for our safety, fear for our health, and so much more.A few nights ago, I was reading my Bible before turning out the light. I was in Mark chapter 5 and read a simple but assuring word given by Jesus.Mark 5:22-24 - “Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him.”Vs. 35-36 - “While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” 36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”As we read on in the story we see Jesus goes to their home and heal’s the 12 year old girl. But what stands out to me in this story is the journey. In desperation, Jarius finds Jesus and pleads with him earnestly to come to his house and heal his dying daughter. He expresses his faith by saying that he believed Jesus could heal her.So, they are walking and on their way to his house, someone comes and reports to them that the little girl has died. Put yourself in Jarius’ position. He is devastated. His sweet little girl passed away. He didn’t get Jesus there soon enough. But notice Jesus’ response… Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”Like Jarius, you probably have an urgent need that you desire God to meet. Doubt creeps in and says Jesus won’t get there soon enough, but I hope today you can hear the voice of our savior saying “don’t be afraid, just believe.”Today you don’t need a sermon. You don’t need a deep theological truth. You just need the simple, reassuring words of Jesus, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”There are times in our lives when things happen that press us to our limits and beyond.  When that happens, we have a choice.  We can pull the covers over our heads, isolate ourselves, and try to escape from it all.  Or we can embrace what we’re feeling and move forward in faith that God has a future for us.Do not be afraid; only believe: Jesus told Jairus to do two things. First, to stop being afraid. It sounds almost cruel for Jesus to say this to a man who just lost his daughter, but Jesus knew that fear and faith don’t go together. Before Jairus could really trust Jesus, he had to decide to put away fear. Second, Jesus told Jairus to only believe. Don’t try to believe and be afraid at the same time. Don’t try to believe and figure it all out. Don’t try to believe and make sense of the delay. Instead, only believe.Today’s Challenge: Identify what is causing you to be afraid and bring it to Jesus. I’m confident you’ll hear his calming words: Don’t be afraid, just believe. As you put your trust in him, allow his peace to fill your heart and mind.

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