I Need Help – Family Devotion – February 8, 2021

Read: Mark 1:29-39

Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
Mark 1:30-34

I Need Help

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“I need help!” Those are words that parents get to know very well. Their children say them more times than anyone could ever count. “I need help tying my shoes!… I need help cutting the pizza… I need help pouring milk… I need help with my math.” Even though they hear it a lot, parents are glad to help their children and to teach them what to do.

However, sometimes children are a little bit stubborn (okay, sometimes really stubborn), and they think they can do things without help. That’s when problems happen. They try to pour the full gallon of milk onto their cereal, and milk ends up everywhere. They try tying shoes without first learning, and they trip and fall over the laces. They try that tricky math problem they don’t understand without any help, and they get a bad grade in the class. It’s good to admit you need help and to get help from someone who loves you!

Sometimes we act like this with Jesus, too. We have so many problems in our lives, but sometimes we think we can take care of them on our own. But whether you are sick, in trouble, sad, or lonely—there is no problem we can take care of in our lives without God helping us in some way.

Jesus’ disciples found that out very quickly. Soon after Jesus called them to be his disciples, they saw Jesus perform all kinds of miracles. In today’s devotion we heard about just some of the people who were in great need. People had diseases, demons, and sicknesses—even Simon Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever. Yet all of those people learned through their problems that they needed the Lord’s help and that he did have the power to help them.

If we need help with our physical problems in life like sicknesses and diseases, how much more is this true with our spiritual problems! We need Jesus’ help with our sins! The one who can take away all our sickness is also the one who took away all our sins! The one who conquers diseases also conquered death! Today we remember that we need Jesus’ help, and that he has the power to help us. We also thank God that Jesus helped us with our greatest problem by taking away our sin and giving us life in heaven.

Closing Prayer:

Dear Jesus, help me to remember how much I need you in my life. I need you with every worldly problem, but I also need you as my Savior. Thank you for being the answer to my every need. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• What were some of the problems that people had in the Bible story today?
• Where did Jesus get all his power to help and to heal people?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• What are some of the problems in your family that you would like to ask Jesus to help with?
• Why can we be so confident that Jesus has the power to help us? What proof do we have?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• If Jesus has the power to help us with every worldly problem, why doesn’t he fix all of them for us?
• Agree or Disagree: Jesus healed people to show that he loves them. Explain your answer.

Hymn: CW 93:1,2 – Hail to the Lord’s Anointed

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, To set the captive free,
To take away transgression, And rule in equity.

He comes with rescue speedy To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy And bid the weak be strong,
To give them songs for sighing, Their darkness turn to light
Whose souls, condemned and dying, Are precious in his sight.