A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Mark 5:25-29......"Is it possible that God uses the disappointments of life to lead us to the Hope that is found only in Him?" Sheila Walsh
I need no prophetic gift to tell you that you, we, will find disappointment in this life. Sometimes a great deal of it. We have disappointments in our relationships. Marriages, friendships that we thought would be forever, aren't. Ministries, jobs, and the moves that go with them, don't pan out. We were sure it was all His will, yet we never believed that what happened, would happen. The life journey we set out upon in our youth, hasn't turned out as we had been sure it would. We thought we'd be a lot further ahead than we are right now. We not only thought we'd have a much different, better life, we were sure we'd be much different, better people than we are. We're disappointed. Disappointed with others, with life, even with ourselves. Sometimes, we're disappointed with Him....if we dare admit it.
If anyone would have a right to be disappointed, discouraged, in despair, it would have been the woman, we never know her name, with the issue of blood. This was an affliction which would render her unclean among her fellow Jews. No one could touch her, come near her. When she walked about, she would have to say loudly, "Unclean," warning any who might accidentally touch her. She would be alone, likely without husband or children....and friends. She had sought healing everywhere, and found it nowhere. This had been going on for 12 years. There was no indication it would not go on forever. In this condition, she approached Jesus.
I need no prophetic gift to tell you that you, we, will find disappointment in this life. Sometimes a great deal of it. We have disappointments in our relationships. Marriages, friendships that we thought would be forever, aren't. Ministries, jobs, and the moves that go with them, don't pan out. We were sure it was all His will, yet we never believed that what happened, would happen. The life journey we set out upon in our youth, hasn't turned out as we had been sure it would. We thought we'd be a lot further ahead than we are right now. We not only thought we'd have a much different, better life, we were sure we'd be much different, better people than we are. We're disappointed. Disappointed with others, with life, even with ourselves. Sometimes, we're disappointed with Him....if we dare admit it.
If anyone would have a right to be disappointed, discouraged, in despair, it would have been the woman, we never know her name, with the issue of blood. This was an affliction which would render her unclean among her fellow Jews. No one could touch her, come near her. When she walked about, she would have to say loudly, "Unclean," warning any who might accidentally touch her. She would be alone, likely without husband or children....and friends. She had sought healing everywhere, and found it nowhere. This had been going on for 12 years. There was no indication it would not go on forever. In this condition, she approached Jesus.
I heard Walsh say that the woman desired a healing, but Christ desired that she be whole. There's a difference. We usually want outward problems solved, and the woman was no exception. Jesus knows that our deepest problem lies within, in our hearts. He wants to bring more than a cure. He wants to bring a healing. She wanted to just touch Him, but He would not leave it at that. He exclaimed, "Who touched Me," but He knew all along who it was. He wanted her to come forward, and speak with Him. She did, falling at His feet and telling Him all. All the pain, the disappointment, and likely, the anger. All given over to Him. And in return, He gave her all of Himself. He never gives less. She told Him the whole truth, and was made whole. Are we willing to do the same, to be the same? Will we pour out to Him all the disappointments, shattered dreams and lost hopes, that He may take them and replace them with His Life, Joy, and yes, Hope? We sing, "Give it all to Jesus," but rarely will we do that. We're anxious to touch Him quickly, get our cure, and be gone. He bids us come, stay, abide, and be transformed, made whole. The Greek word for salvation means "to save and heal." That's the meaning. Has that meaning been accomplished in you and me?
What do you do when it seems your future has been erased? Can you bring the whole of your shattered dreams and hopes to Him, and all that has built up within as a result? Can you bring the whole truth to Him, that you might receive His whole life? Many touched Him that day as he moved through the crowd. There's no indication they received anything from Him. Just the woman. The outcast. The unwanted. Holder of shattered dreams and a shattered life. She touched Him, laid hold of Him. Have you? Have I? There's a difference between casually touching Him, as so many do in their day to day lives, and laying hold of all of Him. There was the crowd, and there was the woman. Who are we most like?
Blessings,
Pastor O
Pastor O
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