Faithful Fridays ~ Can You Imagine?

Hi everyone!  I was thinking yesterday about how long it had been since I posted and how I needed to post and how I had no idea what to post about...

...until it dawned on me that today is Friday and that means it's time for Faithful Fridays!

I started Faithful Fridays so that Christians could have one designated day a week (although I don't think they should keep it to just one day) to share something about their Faith--a prayer request, answered prayer, Bible verse, something God's laid on your heart, etc. To participate in Faithful Fridays, just grab the button above for your post along with a link to my blog somewhere in your post, too. After you've published your post, please come let me know in your comment that you participated and leave me a link to your blog. I'd love to come read your post!

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My mama participates in Faithful Fridays on her blog, Country Girl at Home.

Ms. Retha also participates on her blog, Retha's Rambles.

Ms. Patty also participates on her blog, Blessings Beyond.

You could be next!
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I have been thinking about this subject recently and I saw this post on Rachel's Blog.
 
There are people--humans--all through the Bible.  While they certainly aren't what the Bible is all about, they often have have big roles in the accounts of the Bible, don't they? 
 
They may have lived in a different time,
under different circumstances,
in a different country,
and speaking a different language,
but they are humans, like us.
 
They were born into sin, like us.
They want truth, like us.
They want hope, like us.
They want happiness, like us.
And they want love, like us.
 
They suffered, like us.
They went through sadness, like us.
 
They had happy times, like us.
And most of them found Jesus, like (hopefully) most of us have.
 
It's a bit of a different concept, isn't it?  Sure, we all know they were people, but it can be really hard to relate to them, can't it?
 
I think this is one of the reasons that God gave us imaginations.  So we could at least try to understand and relate to the people of the Bible.
 
For instance, when Mary found out that she was going to become pregnant with Jesus.  Can you imagine the crazy sea of emotions she must have felt?
 
Shocked, because it was just, well, a shocking prospect?
Scared, both of the unknown and of what Joseph and her family would say or do?
Happy, because she was going to be the earthly mother of God?
Bewildered, because it all hit her so fast--and she was a virgin?
 
Then, after she went to visit Elizabeth (which probably made those waves of emotions roll harder), she began to sing a joyful song of praise to God.  Can you imagine how full her heart felt at that moment?
 
Mary’s Song



And Mary said:


“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”

-Luke 1:46-55
 
And then, the children when God welcomed them into his presence.  As a kid myself, that is just...amazing to think about.  I love seeing the pictures of Jesus, shining with glory, smiling welcomingly to the children in his arms.  Can you imagine being one of the children?  First being rebuked--shyly stepping back into your parents' safe arms, then being gently nudged forward by them again when Jesus tells the disciples to let you and the other children come to him.  Then standing at his side, staring up at his face as he preaches to the people.
 
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
 
-Mark 10:13-16
 
Or consider the girl who was raised from the dead.  How amazing and utterly confusing that must have been!  To be in fear and delirium and then seem to slip away from all life, then to suddenly "awake" to the beautiful, shining face of Jesus, a man maybe you had never seen in your life and yet hearing mourning voices outside your house.  And then, after Jesus left, suddenly being told and comprehending what had just happened to you.  I don't know about you, but I'd probably want to run after Jesus and thank Him from the bottom of my heart and probably fall at His knees, too.  This girl is especially dear to my heart because it says in the Bible that she was about twelve, which is how old I am.
 
While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?”



Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”


He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.  When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.  He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”  But they laughed at him.


After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.  He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).  Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.  He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

-Mark 5:35-43

Or maybe the woman, who, just before He left for Jairus's house (the father of the girl above), Jesus healed.  She had such faith.  She was certain, absolutely, positively, without a dobut, over-the-top, 100% certain, that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus's cloak, she would be healed of her terrible disease which had been making her suffer for 12 years.

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.  Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”  So Jesus went with him.



A large crowd followed and pressed around him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.  She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”  Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.


At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.  Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.  He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”


-Mark 5:21-34

Can you imagine, can you feel, her happiness?  Her faith?  To be told by Jesus (in other words), that she had great faith?  To be healed after 12 years of terrible suffering?

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I don't know that today's post is an encouraging post, or a convicting post, but it certainly gives us something to think about.  And somehow, it makes me feel a bit closer to God.  We share many things in common with the people of the Bible, and one of those things is that with most of them, we share the same God.  Maybe by their experiences with God and His Son--by trying to put ourselves in those situations--we become closer to God.

God bless you and Merry CHRISTmas,
Joy :D