You came so close… you could literally touch it. You had it in your hands. Everything seemed to have fallen into place. You found that connection, attended the interview, met the suitor, you were getting ready to sign the deal…

Luke 8:41 Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

Although Jairus was in a crisis, he had the situation under control. He had found Jesus, and successfully pleaded with Him to come to his house.

But then something unexpected happened – a distraction – and the rhythm of the events changed. You seem to have lost the opportunity.

Luke 8:41b As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.

There’s a still moment. You want to push it, you want to make it happen, but you really can’t do anything. This is beyond your control. Worse still, the focus momentarily shifts from you. No one seems to catch the urgency of your need.

Luke 8:45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

You see, Jairus at this moment, must have thought to himself. “Is it that important? I have a pressing need…my daughter is dying.” With every ticking minute he seemed to be losing time. He was at the Place of Delay.

Luke 8:46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

What?! The same power Jairus needed seemed to have been drawn out of Jesus.

That’s how ‘limited’ we are in our thinking – not half-aware, that there’s enough blessing to go round for all of us. You see, at the moment that someone else seems to draw from God, we can either celebrate – and adopt an attitude that says, ‘if He did it for her, He can surely do it for me’ or we can get envious and think the supply got finished at the last miracle.

The truth is, while the woman with the issue of blood was receiving her miracle, Jairus’ daughter’s life was hanging in the balance.

Luke 8:49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue rule. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

It seemed for Jairus, all was lost. He had come so close, but could not receive his miracle.

As if waiting is not hard enough, there will be bad reports that will indicate that whatever you are trusting God for is impossible. They will pull out facts, medical reports, statistics – realistically speaking, your situation is ‘dead’.

Luke 8:50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

In our moment of crisis, we must draw from our deepest inner recesses, overcome our fears – and believe – in spite of what the ‘facts’ say.

Jesus asked Jairus to believe – even before He went to his house. The miracle He was about to perform was predicated on Jairus’ faith.

Luke 8:51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s mother and father.

Upon Jesus’ arrival, He only went in with His inner circle of 3 and the girls’ parents. Our greatest miracles will not be birthed in the presence of the crowd; but only with a select few – who have the capacity to mid-wife the Process.

Luke 8:55-56 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Jesus told Jairus and his wife not to tell anyone what had happened. That’s bizarre! After all, the whole crowd that had been previously wailing would see the girl walking and going about her business.

Could it be that the greatest evidence of God’s doing might not be in our spoken word – but in the unquestionable evidence when He moves publicly to announce His glory?

I pray that God will so publicly announce Himself in that ‘dead’ situation – that you need not testify of His goodness. I pray that you will find grace to hold on – even in the face of delay; that you will trust God, and that your faith will remain unshakeable through the journey.

Bon Voyage.