Jesus' words above are from Mark's account of a synagogue leader who seeks out the Master to heal his dying daughter. When messengers arrive to say that the little girl has already died, Jesus ignores their comments and urges the father to do the same, warning him not to become fearful, but to "keep on believing." When they reach the man's house, Jesus raises the daughter from the dead, and gives her back to her grateful parents.

I was reminded of this powerful passage about a year ago, when I began having so much trouble walking that I had to stop using my treadmill. It never even occurred to me at first that I might never be able to use it again. But as weeks turned into months, with no sign of my walking problems improving, thoughts would enter my mind saying, "You are never going to use that treadmill again!" I knew it was the enemy's attempt to discourage me, and to torment me with fear. So I ignored him, and kept reminding myself of Jesus' words in Mark 5:36 (AMP), "Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing."

While I prayed and stood on God's promises of healing, I began using my low-impact stationary bike for my workouts. My treadmill has always been in our guest room at the end of the hall, so I would see it many times a day as I went about my daily routine. And I would wonder if I would ever use it again. Then I would hear in my spirit, "Don't be afraid - just keep on believing!" And I would keep on praying and declaring God's promises. The entire time, I kept my usual doctor appointments, but I honestly didn't do anything out of the ordinary to get well. I was leaning heavily on God and His Word. And after about six months, I felt so good that I was able to use my treadmill again.

One of the lessons that God taught me from this experience was that the FEAR of sickness and disease can do just as much damage to our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being as the ailments themselves. The same goes for injuries. I never did find out if I injured myself, or if some affliction made it difficult for me to walk. And that's okay, because I wasn't focusing on the cause, but the cure. So my advice to you today would be to work with God to live as free from fear as you possibly can. When you get hurt or sick, remember the Lord's words saying, "Don't be afraid - just keep on believing!" See the doctor and take medications if you need to, but don't put your faith in them. Instead, put your faith in God, and fight off fear with the help of His Spirit and His Word!

Prayer: Lord, teach me how to resist fear every time that it comes against me. When I need healing of any kind, help me to ignore words of doubt from the enemy and other people. Remind me to study Your Word diligently so that I will know exactly which promises to pray and stand on for my deliverance. Thank You that by the power of Your indwelling Spirit, when I am faced with sickness, disease, pain, or injury, my declaration of faith shall be, "I will not be afraid - I will keep on believing!"