Jesus Heals: Hope from the Woman Who Reached Out to Touch Him

Read the story this morning, of the woman who was healed when she reached out to touch the cloak of Jesus. She'd been suffering for years with an illness, a bleeding disorder. She'd been to many doctors and yet still was not made well, in fact the Bible says that she grew worse.

But something compelled her to Christ.

She believed.

She had faith.

She knew where help would be found. 

The crowd around Him was large, they followed and pressed close. I can almost see her, making her way through the people, quietly, determined, heart resolute just to reach Him. Just to touch Him. She knew He held power. She'd heard all the stories and here He was, so close, so near.

The crowd didn't stop her. Her fears didn't stop her. Maybe she felt unworthy, maybe she struggled with shame. Yet still onward she walked through, until she was close enough...

"...she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, 'If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.'" Mark 5:27-28

And that was all it took.

Power came through.

The Bible says that "Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering." v. 29

Immediately.

God acted on her behalf..."immediately." Right away.

His Power is able to act fast. His Power is able to heal what doctors say cannot be fixed. His Power is able to do anything that seems impossible to the world.

Jesus knew that power had gone out...He turned around in the crowd, looking, and asked "Who touched my clothes?" v. 30.

His disciples didn't get it, they said, "What do mean, there's a whole crowd here, everyone is pressing close..." Yet Jesus knew differently. He saw what they couldn't. He knew what they didn't. And He kept looking. I wonder if He noticed her fear. I wonder if His eyes locked on hers. Compassionate, loving, kind, generous eyes.
She came and fell at His feet, trembling in fear, told Him what happened, told Him the truth. Maybe she thought He'd be angry. Or question her, or shame her. 

And right there in the midst of her fear and her trembling and her vulnerability, He said these powerful words. Life-changing, inspiring, freedom words, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." v. 34

Maybe sometimes we sit and suffer with wounds that are still bleeding. Maybe it's a physical illness, maybe it's an emotional wound, or maybe we've drifted spiritually...and the wounds still bleed. 

Maybe we look all different places for help, yet forget we can press in towards our Savior. Maybe we forget that He never changes, and He still holds the power to heal and set free. Maybe we don't believe that He can, or wants to, work on our behalf. Maybe we forget at times, that He's still the God of miracles, that He can act "immediately," that He can do in a moment what might take years for us to work through on our own. 

Let's set aside our fears and move towards Him today, in faith. Let's press in close, and reach out to the One who is All-powerful, compassionate, loving, and kind. He knows already, the wounds we've carried, He knows the pain we've felt, He knows how much we've tried to let go, and fix things in our own power. Let's choose to believe that our situation or circumstance is never too big for Him to bring healing and freedom. He is Able. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Grace to you today my friends...He is always within reach. He is never far away. He is close. He is with us.

He cares. He heals. He restores. He redeems.

Go in peace.

Walk in His freedom and healing.

So thankful for our Savior.

Dear God,

We confess our need for you today. We need your healing and your grace. We need hope restored. We need to be reminded that you work on behalf of those you love, constantly, powerfully, completely. Forgive us for trying to fix our situations all on our own. Forgive us for running all different directions and spinning our wheels to find help, when true help and healing must be found first in You. Forgive us for fogetting how much we need you, above everyone and everything else. We come to you and bring you the places we are hurting. You see where noone else is able to fully see or understand. You know the pain we've carried. The burdens. The cares. You know where we need to be set free. We ask for your healing and grace to cover every broken place. Every wound. Every heartache. Thank you that you are Able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Thank you for your Mighty Power that acts on behalf of your children. We reach out to you, and know that you are restoring and redeeming every place of difficutly, every battle, for your greater glory. Thank you that you will never waste our pain and suffering. We love you. We need you today. 

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen.

Debbie McDaniel is a writer, pastor's wife, mom to three amazing kids. Join her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead's facebook page, DebbieWebbMcDaniel, for daily encouragement in living strong, free, hope-filled lives. Find her also at Twitter and Web Site.

*Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.