But Come

This past weekend, Pastor Charles talked briefly about the story of the ruler's dead daughter (see Matthew 9). I was reviewing it this morning, and saw something I hadn't seen before. At the beginning of the story, the ruler came to Jesus and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hands on her and she will live," (Matthew 9:18). Most of us, when we're talking to Jesus, talking with our friends, talking to our doctors, only say the first sentence: so and so has just died. But the ruler didn't stop there. He said, "But I trust you to make the outcome different than it appears. I trust that you have the power and the authority to overcome what everyone else says is hopeless."

Have you ever approached Jesus with such boldness? Often times, when the situation looks bleak, we approach Him weeping and wearily ask, "If you could, if it's in Your will, please make this change." The ruler boldly approached Jesus and said, "But come."

We need to be like the rich ruler. We need to look at situation and know that Jesus has the power to turn the situation completely around and we need to boldly approach Him with our requests. What situation in your life today looks dead? What situation have the statistics called "over." I don't know about you, but I'm not going to take the world's 3% success rate anymore. My God is bigger than any success rate, any statistic, any man-made authority. My God is bigger than the devil himself. Today, Jesus, I am coming to You, and I am saying: But come and make this change. I know you have the power. I know you have the authority. Come, my Jesus, and lay your hands on what the world calls dead and make it live again for Your glory! In Jesus' mighty name I pray, Amen.