Perhaps you have this same problem that besets me. Trusting God for an outcome requires also trusting His timing. If I am impatient, anxious, nervous, worrying, edgy, irked, or fretful about the speed with which God is visibly working in my world, then I do not truly trust Him. Oh, I may say that I do, but the truth is that I do not. Mark 5:21-43 tells a story of two people with desperate situations. One is rich; one is destitute. One is powerful; one is not allowed to touch another living human. One is a ruler in the synagogue; one is not allowed in the synagogue. One is named Jairus, which means “one whom God enlightens or awakens”; one remains nameless.
One is afraid of losing something that brought him twelve years of happiness; one wants to lose something that brought her twelve years of absolute misery. Both situations are desperate. One situation is urgent; the other is not. Jesus planned a miracle for both; He interrupted the urgent and desperate situation to deal with the situation that was only desperate. Can we trust that God loves us during interruptions? Can we trust that God is all-knowing during the interruptions? Can we trust that God is fully capable during the interruptions?
In Mark 5:22-24 Jesus left with Jairus, a rich and powerful synagogue ruler, because he begged Jesus to come to his house and heal his dying daughter. Mark 5:25-34 records Jesus stopping along the way to deal with another desperate situation. We are not told how long the events of these ten verses took, but we can be certain that it seemed like an eternity to Jairus. The nameless woman’s situation was certainly desperate but not urgent; Jairus’ situation was urgent. Make no mistake about it; Jairus’ heart was being wrung out like a dishrag. We can be sure that emergencies do not sneak up on God. Psalm 38:22 and 40:13 ask God to make haste to help. That is not necessary. God is fully aware of what is happening and He has no need to rush. Jairus’ situation looked urgent to him, but not to Jesus. If any situation worsens, it has not gotten even the slightest bit more difficult for God to deal with.
Maybe you, like Jairus, have asked God to visit your house, lay hands on a family member, and bring healing. Maybe the issue is physical health. Maybe the issue is a more important one such as salvation or spiritual growth. If you are like me, you likely get impatient because God has not acted quickly enough for your liking. Maybe it seems to you that God is visiting everyone else’s house and stopping to help others but not you. You can be sure that God has not forgotten nor has He lost His way. He is on His way to your house.
Perhaps you noted in verse 24, that Jesus upon Jairus’ initial request, simply began to walk with Jairus. Jesus did not say a word. At that point, Jairus did not need a word from God. He was walking by faith as he ought. Verse 35 changed the situation, at least from a human perspective. Messengers reported that Jairus’ daughter died. It was at this point, when Jairus’ faith was likely failing that Jesus spoke to Jairus. When Jairus needed a word, Jesus gave it. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe” (Mark 5:36, NASU). Jesus journeyed on to Jairus’ house and raised his daughter. Even when you and I think the situation is hopeless and that it is too late for help, it is not. No situation is too late or too far gone for God’s intervention. Do you trust God in the interruptions, when your heart is being wrung out like a dishrag?