Real Help

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (KJV). It is, quite simply, trusting God and His Word more than anything you can see in the natural. Regardless of what we see, hear, feel, touch or taste, faith says, “I trust God and His Word more.” It’s a powerful force that has changed the world. Below are three examples of the supernatural force of faith at work in the New Testament.

1. Jairus

   “Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. ‘My little daughter is dying,’ he said. ‘Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.’” –Mark 5:22-23

   Jairus sought Jesus because he knew Jesus held the key to his daughter’s survival. This took tremendous faith because the religious leaders did not support Jesus. Jairus had to turn his back on the traditional wisdom and religious practices of that day and step out in faith. The result? Complete healing for his daughter and salvation for him.

2. The Woman With the Issue of Blood

   “A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, ‘If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.’” –Mark 5:25-29

   After 12 years and countless doctors, this woman was at a loss. She had lost all she had in pursuit of health, and yet, she had still come up short. Then she heard about Jesus, the Messiah, who could heal her. She shouldn’t have even been in the city since she would have been considered unclean, but her faith pushed her on. She believed so strongly in Jesus’ ability to heal her that she believed she didn’t even need to speak to Him or touch Him. She knew that just touching His garment was enough, and it was. Healing was hers!

3. The Leper

   “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. ‘If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,’ he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. “Be healed!’ Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.” –Mark 1:40-45

   This man was an outcast in society. He was slowly losing his life to a disease that had no cure. He had quite possibly lived for years with this disease. Being a leper, he wouldn’t have been able to live with his loved ones or earn a living. He could have been hopeless, but instead, his faith assured him that Jesus was the answer to his problem. He humbled himself and proclaimed the truth: “You can heal me.” Jesus healed him, and Jesus is still healing today!

Each of these people exhibited great faith, and their reward was great healing. Jesus was moved with compassion to heal them or their loved ones. We can learn so much from these examples. No matter what society tells us, no matter what doctors tell us, no matter what religious tradition tells us, faith in Jesus matters. In fact, it can make the difference between life and death!