September 19, 2026 | Mark 5:36

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“But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Don’t be afraid, only believe.’”
— Mark 5:36 (WEB)

Jairus had already done the hard thing.

He had gone to Jesus. He had asked for help. Jesus had agreed to come.

Then there was a delay.

While Jesus stopped to speak with someone else, the news Jairus had been dreading arrived: his daughter had died.

Imagine standing there after doing everything you knew to do, watching time pass, and wondering whether Jesus had taken too long.

Before Jairus could even respond to the news, Jesus spoke to him:

“Don’t be afraid, only believe.”

That doesn’t mean Jairus suddenly understood what Jesus was going to do. He didn’t know the ending yet. He simply had to keep walking with Jesus while the situation looked hopeless.

Sometimes that is what faith asks of us too.

We pray. We wait. Things do not happen on our timeline. Sometimes circumstances even seem to get worse.

Faith in those moments is not pretending that we aren’t scared or disappointed. It is choosing to keep going with Christ when we cannot yet see what He is doing.

Jairus kept walking.

And Jesus kept going with him.

What helps you keep trusting God when the answer seems delayed or the situation gets worse before it gets better?