Are you reaching for Him?
In His Word 4-24-17
Even in a cup of Chai tea you can find a reminder of His love.
What are you reaching for today? Are you reaching for your cup or reaching for His Word?
In Matthew 9 we can read
about the ‘woman with the issue of blood’;
for twelve years it says she had an issue of blood; but it does not say if she
was what we today call “a bleeder” or what type of ‘issue of blood’ it was.
What we do know is that she was in need of healing from this. She was weak and
she reached out with all she had to touch just the hem, the edge of his
garment. She was doing this because she had faith that she would be healed
completely; if she could but touch the edge of his clothing. What amazing faith
she must have had to believe such a slight touch, not even acknowledgement that
she was there; but that small, what she probably figured to be unseeing touch
was the most important thing. She had no idea that she would be teaching us how
to reach out to Christ Jesus in our hour of need. She had no idea of how many
more people would be healed because of this simple act; she just wanted to be
made whole.
19 And Jesus
arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased
with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of
his garment:21 For she said
within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Matthew
9:19-21
She knew it would ‘work’ if
she could get to Him. When he turned around to speak to her, realizing someone
had touched Him out of faith, His disciples though it was funny that Jesus felt
someone touch Him in a crowd where people were all around them begging him for
help in probably loud voices and such pressure was against Him anyway.
22 Jesus turned around,
and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that
moment. Matthew 9:22-23
She had no idea she would
start a new thing among the people. I five chapters we will read of Jesus going
on to Gennesaret and people begging to be allowed to just touch his hem because
they had obviously heard of the healing that came when one woman did this. The
word was spreading and the people knew what we know today; just to touch the
hem of His garment will make us whole!
Imagine, stretching out and
reaching for that hem with all your strength knowing the answer to what you
seek is in such a small touch? Yet today
people go to all these great extents to ‘get their healing’ from God via man.
All it takes is one touch. All it really takes is faith knowing that God can,
and will heal you when you ask with all trust, all faith knowing that He will
do it.
How many times Jesus said
to the people; “Your faith has made you whole” and yet we think we have to jump
through hoops. All He asks for is our faith believing and we will see miracles,
hearts healed, strength in bodies that we never though would have that
strength. Bones that have been broken in so many pieces that the doctors give
little hope of a person every walking, and yet my friend’s family member is
doing just this.
We are perplexed, but not driven to
despair. 9 We are hunted down, but
never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our
bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may
also be seen in our bodies…13 But we
continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when
he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”14 We know that God, who raised the Lord
Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and
present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as
God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and
God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we
never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed
every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and
won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs
them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can
see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things
we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2
Corinthians 4:7-18
All that they went through was for Jesus and the freedom and faith
to be passed on to others; all their suffering was not in vain. Jesus heals,
gives hope and points the way to truth, because He is the way, the truth, and
the life! If we have faith and press in prayer and really spend time in His
presence each day; imagine all that we can accomplish for Him?
Does that
sound odd? Here we are talking about healing by faith that Christ Jesus will
heal us and I switch it over to what we can do for Him? Well it isn’t; the
woman was healed in this way and written about for us to read that we may be
healed, that Christ would get the glory. Funny how that works isn’t it? When you seek God, really seek His presence;
spend time reading and talking to Him, then waiting there with your eyes closed
or whatever just listening; you will here His voice and He will direct your
path. This is one of those cases where you just need to listen for the still
small voice. Then take a moment and write down what you think about after
prayer and reading. Go back and read it over after a week or so and see what
God said to you through the scriptures. We can so easily hear His voice in His
Word each day if we just read and think on the things we read and talk to God
about it. Then listen for His voice, reach out to Him today.
Be careful then, dear brothers and
sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning
you away from the living God. You must warn
each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be
deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end,
trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all
that belongs to Christ. Remember what
it says:
“Today when you
hear his voice, don’t harden
your hearts as Israel
Dear Heavenly Father, thank
you for speaking to us today, in so many ways. Help us to listen and to obey
Your Words each day, in Jesus name, amen.
Suggested reading: Matthew
9:1-17, Matthew 14:1-36, Hebrews 3:1-19 and
2 Corinthians 4:1-18