"Talitha, Cumi!"
By: Birdie Courtright
As Jesus was teaching one day, He found Himself overwhelmed and
amazed by a group of children. “Be like this”, He entreated those
that had gathered to hear Him speak. Why would He incite His
followers to revert to childlike behavior?
Perhaps it’s because in the process of becoming adults, we tend to
forget who we are. We are His children, and when we trust openly,
give freely, and love honestly, we are delightful in our childlike
innocence. Is it possible to revert to that state as we face the
trials and tribulations of adulthood? I think it is.
Most of us would say that relationships, responsibilities and
hardships have forced the child within us to grow cold and silent.
After a few of life’s twists and turns and unplanned disasters we
find it increasingly difficult to respond with unrestrained joy and
giddy laughter. We find ourselves lost in the quagmire of
difficulties that present themselves on a daily basis. It’s not easy
to believe that we can live and trust like a child, while being
ransacked throughout adulthood. For most of us, the childhood
virtues that once fueled our passion and zest for life have not only
grown cold and silent, we have pronounced them dead.
In the book of Mark, we find a perfect example of Messiah’s ability
to resurrect His children. In this story, the daughter of an
important man had fallen gravely ill. The father went in search of
Jesus to beg his help, but did not reach Him in time. News came that
the young girl had died and it was too late. Jesus pushed through
the throng of grieving relatives, admonishing them to believe
differently; ‘she isn’t dead’, He said, ‘she’s just asleep.’ No
pulse, no breath—the child had grown cold and silent.
Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi,"
which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Mark 5: 41
NKJ
Immediately the child responded, no longer dead but healed and
whole.
Scripture gives us the story of the young girl’s restoration, but I
find it easy to believe that the remainder of her life became an
extraordinary journey.
Having once been dead, but quickened to life by The Master’s touch,
how could it have been any less? Imagine the impact His words, “Talitha,
cumi” had on her from that time forward. Where ever she went,
whatever she did; she was known as the child that was raised from
the dead. Her life became a demonstration of God’s amazing grace.
Jesus doesn’t ask what is impossible. Instead, He asks what seems
ridiculously simple. The heartache, disappointments and pressures
inherent in life can send our childlike virtues into a deep coma,
but even near death, there is hope. “Talitha, cumi”. We can respond
to His voice no matter what state we find ourselves in. Even when
the child within us has grown cold and silent, and resurrection
feels impossible, it isn’t.
We can trust The Master’s voice to quicken us even from the deathbed
of despair and dismay. We can live again, laugh again, love again,
share again, trust again, and hope again. It is possible to return
to the joys of our childhood when we take His hand. “Talitha, cumi.”
Arise, little girl of God! Shout, sing, dance! The Messiah has come
to effuse His life into the lifeless child within you. Let her rise
up from that deathbed and taste the joys of life again!
Article Source: http://faithandfamilyarticles.com
blog.myspace.com/birdiecourtright www.shoutlife.com/birdiecourtright
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"Talitha, Cumi!"
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