“Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with Him to come to his house and heal his little girl” (Luke 8:41-42).
Jairus was desperate and we are told that he repeatedly begged Jesus. If there ever was a time for Jesus to hurry, perhaps getting to Jairus’ house was one of them. However, Jesus agreed to Jairus’ request so they set out toward his home.
While pressing through the crowd, Jairus’ request was delayed by the interruption of a courageous and desperate woman who also needed healing. Time was not a factor for Jesus, so He stopped and healed the woman.
As the crowed continued to press in, it made it harder for Jesus to move quickly. And at this point Jairus’ faith and patience was tested. But, for the moment, he had no other option but to simply wait on Jesus.
Jesus and Jairus walked on and by the time they arrived, Jairus’ daughter had died. When Jesus looked and saw the disappointment on Jairus’ face, He said, “Don’t be upset. Just trust me and everything will be alright.”
There are several things we can learn from this encounter; Delayed timing can be perfect timing. And that is so in this case. The delayed arrival to Jairus’ house resulted in more glory to God, because Jesus had the opportunity to raise the girl from the dead. We can also learn that Jesus is never in a hurry and He is never too busy with someone else’s problem that He cannot stop to give attention to another.
So just in case it seems like He’s taking too long to honor your request; remember that He’s in control and you can’t hurry Him. And if you rush ahead of Him, you might miss out on something much greater.