Reach out—In His Word
11-12-18
So many people out there
in today’s world are hurting and suffering needlessly; they need to reach out
to His hand.
She sat there on the side
of the roadway. She knew he would soon be walking by with his friends; if she
could just touch him, he would fix everything.
The crowds were following
him everywhere now and she did not have the strength left in her body to stand
or even to call out.
He was coming, she could
hear them approaching the curve… there was Peter, and James, they would stop
her if she could even call out. He may not stop, if they blocked her from
speaking. This was the only way. She had to reach out—touch even the hem of his
garment. She would be healed for certain if she could just...
The crowd came. They passed by her...
He knew that if Jesus
would just stop by and touch his daughter that she would be alive. He had heard
of this Jesus doing so for others, so why not for his young daughter, He cried
out in worship to Jesus, then spoke to Him in regards to his precious little
one.
She reached out suddenly…
While He
spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My
daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will
live.” 19 So Jesus
arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.
20 And suddenly,
a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind
and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said
to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus
turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you
well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. Matthew 9:18-22
He addressed the man and
followed this father to heal his daughter. On the way he felt the faith of a woman
reaching out and touching Him, believing for healing.
He stopped and commended
her faith.
What if she had not had
the faith, the courage to reach out?
I the news we are plagued
with stories of people who failed to reach out for help and in so doing they make
the choice to either kill themselves or to kill others. We ask ourselves why?
Wasn’t there someone they could talk to? Why did it have to happen?
When we hear the notes
they left behind; didn’t someone have a clue? Why did they not reach out?
Then we hear about people
who kind of thought maybe somebody should do something but they were afraid.
So what are we going to
do?
As the people in the Bible
got healed, or had family members healed they had one thing in common. They
reached out to Jesus.
So how can this help us? How
can we help others by using the knowledge that healing comes from reaching out
We can share it with
others, reach out to someone and give them not only the needed ear to talk to
but also the love and compassion needed to heal their hearts and minds. Maybe
we if took the time to pay attention to people around us instead of ignoring
them and trying to ‘keep to ourselves’ and ‘not get involved’, we could
actually help save a life?
It only takes a small
change to change someone’s whole existence. Maybe it was a smile, or maybe you
nodded hello to someone when they passed you by. These small gestures
could change
someone’s whole day? Maybe it will change their outlook on people around them
and they may decide not to go on a shooting spree?
Or we could just sit back
and do nothing. Then when we see there was a shooting we can complain that it
was someone else’s fault, or be indifferent to the plight of the suffering teen
or adult who just unleashed tier wrath up on a group of innocent bystanders.
I don’t know about anyone
else but when I see in the news that there was another death by gun or bomb I
worry about who is around me that needs help. How can I help Lord?
“I pray for the families.”
Is it enough? Maybe we need to pray before the incident or issue happens? Maybe
we need to reach out to the person who is struggling with life itself. Think for a moment about whom you may know who
is in need, either financially, or maybe they are just lonely with no one to hang
out with. Ask them to coffee, lunch, or for an ice cream. Go one step further
and invite them to Thanksgiving Dinner.
Many year ago I was
feeling alone and friendless. You know, that I am alone in the crowd feeling?
That was me. The difference was that I had Jesus with me at that point, and He
said to me, “If you want to have a friend you have to first be a friend.”
So let’s take that one
step further; if you want to save a life, you must give your life. Oh, no not physically! I mean give of your
time, safe a life by giving your time in life to spend it with someone you
maybe would not even have chosen to hang with, but you know they need a friend.
Be a friend, give of your
time, your hope, your joy, to save a life this week; reach out!
Be blessed as you do.
Dear Heavenly Father, help
me to reach out this week. Help us to know the difference between a con artist
and a person who is truly in need and help us to reach out to them; in Jesus
name, amen.
Suggested reading: Matthew
9:1-39, Mark 6:1-56, Psalm 88:1-18 and James 5:1-20.