Poised for Belief

To be poised

Vocabulary.com: You’re balanced, grounded, and ready for action

Cambridge English Dictionary:  If an object or part of your body is poised, it is completely still but ready for action; ready to do a particular thing at any moment

All the dictionaries agreed that to be poised is to be still, not moving, but ready to move.

It has been suggested that, like rebooting your device when it is glitching out, I unplug this week and plug it back in again and see if it works better (it’s only Tuesday). If only life worked that way. It’s been one of those weeks where I have been hit with a combination of little stuff and some pretty big things. I don’t feel particularly poised for belief. Oh, I know the verses, in fact I’m sure I have blogged on some of my favourites. But some days are just a little more challenging than others.

In Mark 5:21-43 we read the story of Jairus, a leader in the local synagogue. His 12-year old daughter is very sick at the point of death. Jairus finds Jesus and begs him to come and heal his little girl. Jesus goes with him and a huge crowd follows them.

But there is an interruption. Jesus is delayed. With the throng of people pressing in on him Jesus feels healing power leave his body. He looks around and finds a woman kneeling in front of him confessing that it was she who drew power from him. In desperation she had come to the end of her hope for healing and touched his robe as a last resort. She is healed.

Meanwhile, Jairus daughter dies.

“While he was still speaking to her [the woman who touched his robe for healing], messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”” (Mark 5:35–36, NLT) [emphasis mine]

Jesus finishes his conversation with the healed woman then continues to the home of Jairus. Jesus asks Jairus to take him and three of his disciples in to see his little girl. Jesus then raises her back to life.

Then Jesus leaves the region and heads back to his hometown. A week later he is teaching in the synagogue in Nazareth. The people are amazed at his teaching, but they are very critical. “Who is this who thinks he is so special? Isn’t he Joseph and Mary’s son? He’s just like us?”

“Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people.” (Mark 6:4–6, NLT)[emphasis mine]

Ray C. Stedman gives his perspective on this narrative in his book The Servant Who Rules.

“What is all of this saying – this entire account of the healing of the woman, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the reception given him by the people of Nazareth? It is saying to us today, ‘Lift up your eyes and look beyond the visible to the realities of God. Live in the full dimensions of life as God intended life to be.’ Life can never be explained entirely in terms of the natural. Its resources come to an end. Its ability to help us soon disappears. We are left impoverished and despairing if all we have to depend on are natural resources, natural power. But God is rich in grace, rich in power, rich in inward strength and sympathy, and his cry to us is, ‘No longer be unbelieving, but believe and have faith that I am at work, and I will enrich your life beyond your wildest dreams.’ As time goes on, in his own way, according to his own schedule, and through the processes of pain and toil and trouble, God will bring a depth of enrichment to you that you cannot possibly measure.” (p. 148)

So perhaps I will not reboot this week after all. Perhaps I will stand firm and keep my eyes peeled and my ears perked up, asking God, “What is it you are trying to teach me in this uncomfortable season? Father, I know you are at work. I know you are completely trustworthy and good. I open my hands and give you space and time to work, even when it hurts and it’s frustrating and not happening the way I had anticipated or chosen.”

I choose to stand poised for belief.