Lord, as I draw near to You,
You draw near to me.
My trust is in Your healing power,
and with one touch I am set free.
Focus of the Month: Ordinary Women with Extraordinary Hope
Have you ever felt yourself holding on by a thread? Maybe you can’t imagine waking up to one more day like yesterday. You watch, you wait, you pray…and then you wait again. How long must I endure this disappointment? This illness? This pain? Why can’t it just go away? Can anyone help me? Will things ever change? What am I doing wrong?
These are all questions I have asked myself at one time or another. Whether in the midst of challenging circumstances, feeling insufficient for the tasks before me, or just plain exhausted from the demands life brings. I wish I could say I always exhibit the strongest of faith in my darkest moments; but that doesn’t always hold true. As much as I truly trust God, I can sometimes be shaken. I am so grateful for the encouragement I find when I open His Word and read the stories of real women with difficulties who reached out and trusted in the healing touch of Jesus in their life.
And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” (Mark 5:25-28)
This precious woman, who remains nameless, has taught me so much. Even though her name is kept out of scripture, the importance of her story is not. Twelve years before she met up with Jesus her anguish began. Twelve long years of searching for the answers to her bleeding issue. Years of missing out on things others most likely took for granted. I can only imagine the pain, the embarrassment, the possible isolation she suffered. Then one day, in the midst of a crowd, her faith gave her courage to reach out and touch the garment of Jesus as He walked through the village.
And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:29-34)
Healing comes in many ways – Not only from an illness or disease. It could be from a damaging thought I hold onto, a grudge I have against another, or behaviors that I need to be set free from. Upon what in your life do you need the touch of Jesus? In one moment, one act of complete faith the woman was healed.
I want faith like hers. I want to trust Jesus that much. If He walked by me today would I reach for the thread of His garment or would I remain in my fear? Oh, how I want to be brave enough to stretch my hand through the crowd to the only One who has my answer, my healing touch. Through Him all things are possible. There is no other with the power He holds within Him. I thank this woman for showing me that in an instant all the burdens I carry with me can be released.
Freedom in one touch upon one thread of His garment.
Holding Fast to Hope,
Jen
Scripture References: Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:45-46; Matthew 19:26; Psalm 147:3
