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Matthew 9:18-26

Sometimes when Jesus preformed miracles, he tried to keep them a secret, but it’s hard to keep those kinds of things quiet.  People tend to talk.  Imagine if they’d had the internet back then!  We would have known every detail of every miracle the second they happened and there would have been video proof.

While there wasn’t a video of the miracles in today’s passage, it does end by saying “News of this spread through all that region (v. 26).”  The days of Jesus trying to quietly go about his business were long over.  Once news had spread, everyone was looking to get close to him.

The woman who had been bleeding for twelve years said to herself, “if I only touch his cloak, I will be healed” (v. 21) and she was.  How amazing it must have been to be there and witness Jesus healing the sick, raising the dead and driving out demons.  I’m guessing it would have been pretty easy to become a follower once you’d seen something like that.

So, I’m wondering if that’s one of the reasons why Jesus wanted to keep things quiet?  Was it because he knew how easy it would be to gain followers with miraculous acts and he didn’t want it to turn into a chaotic show? Was it because he knew faith is rooted in never seeing yet still believing?

Most of us will go our whole lives never witnessing miracles like the ones Jesus performed, but our lives are still filled with them.  We just have to know what to look for.  It may be an addict entering treatment for the third time or a job coming through after months of unemployment.  God is at work and like the synagogue leader’s daughter we want Him to take us by the hand and raise us from death to a new life with Him.

Status Update

The world sure has changed over the past 30 years.  I was watching one of those holiday cartoons with my son the other night, you know the ones that come on once a year and it's tradition to sit in front of the TV and watch.

After playing it for probably the fourth time my son asks, “Did you watch this over and over when you were a kid?”  I had to laugh as I explained that we didn't have DVR when I was his age.  He was stunned.

My husband and I continued to explain that we didn't have a lot of things he has.  No cell phones, WiFi, internet. We didn't have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter.

I was actually surprised myself to see how much things have changed in a short period of time.  While all of these additions to life can be fun and entertaining, I can't help but feel they also give too many people the stage to have influence in our lives.

Our scripture passage today comes from Proverbs 3: 5-10.  Verse 5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”  We do the opposite of this most of the time, don't we.

We will run to Facebook articles, news interviews, and our friends opinions before we turn to God.  But he want us to trust him with ALL of our heart and NOT lean on our own understanding.  

This passage is not telling us to turn off our brains.  It is telling us to use our brains and seek the ONLY one who has the answers we need.  Why? Proverbs continues saying, “He will direct our path”.

God will give us the direction we need.  Some versions of this passage say, “He will make our path straight.”  Isn't that what we are looking for when week seek out all this information?  God, the one who created us and who loves us says he will show us which way to go if we would trust him.

Now that's news worthy of posting.

Read today's passage Proverbs 3:5-10