We are forgetful people.  It's part of our human nature--we have trouble remembering things.  Specifically, we often remember the bad things that happen to us better than the good things.  But God has always been good, and even though our minds are often dominated by negativity, we need to be deliberate about keeping God's goodness in the front of our minds.

We've all experienced inadequacy in our lives.  No matter what obstacles we encounter, at some point we're all faced with the difficult truth that we simply can't do it on our own.  But the message of Easter is one of hope--no matter how dire the circumstances may seem, the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us.  It's not about our power, it's about His!

Jesus shows his power over every conceivable force in the first five chapters of Mark - disease, dark spiritual forces, nature, even death.  But when he returns to his hometown, the people’s familiarity with Jesus limited their faith in him to the point where he didn’t have the opportunity to exercise his power.  When the congregation fails to believe, the community suffers.

Jesus interacts with two different people in this passage: a man with a twelve year-old dying daughter, and a woman who suffered bleeding for twelve years.  Neither situation seemed hopeful for them until they met Jesus.  No matter how little hope there seems to be in a situation, the touch of Jesus can change everything.  Knowing this, how much do we really trust Jesus, and what will we trust him with?

We all go through storms in life.  The question isn't "Will I go through a storm," but "Will I go through the storm with Jesus?"  Even though we don't always see him, even though we may feel like he doesn't care, Jesus promises his presence throughout all the troubles we experience in life.  No matter what you're going through, no matter how hard it seems, remember to trust Jesus in the storms.