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It’s A New Day…Press Into Your Promise
Luke 8:42-48 As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him (Thronged against him). And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
Mark 5:27-28 When she heard about Jesus, 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." NIV
As I spent time meditating on the recount of the women with the issue of blood in the above passages, in light of the fact that I truly do believe that God is doing a new thing, I was encouraged by her story. Not only for myself, but many others I know who have been hindered on their journey of life by experiences of there past or even events in their.
1. What’s your issue? And How long have you been dealing with it?
(Luke 8:43NKJV)
Let’s face it, we all have issues, some more obvious than others. 12 years, 12 years is how long our character had been dealing with her “issue”. Our versus open by mentioning there was a women with an issue of blood. It is important to note that in that day and issue of blood was usually caused from promiscuous and inappropriate sexual behavior. Modern day vernacular could be interpreted as an “STD”. Our issues may not be so obvious; they may be molestation or abuse in our childhood, divorce, infidelity in our marriages, poor business decisions or losing our families trying to “play God” because we won’t relinquish “control”.
2. What has it cost you?
(Luke 8:43; Mark 5:31)
Our issues have a price tags: She had spent “all her living” trying to find a cure. In Mark 5:31 it is phrased “She suffered many things of many physicians, and spent all she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” She spent all her living, not just her livelihood but her life. Many times in an effort to “take care of ourselves” we neglect to run to God 1st but instead as a last resort. In other cases we try to run from the problem, live in denial by relying on other things. These things may be materialism, drugs, alcohol, manipulation or human relationships to fix us (or at least numb the pain). And yet in all of our human efforts, it seems that things are “not getting better only worse.” Only to find that in the end it has cost our peace, joy, families, friends, ministries, finances or business’. We end up as she did, physically, financially, relationally & emotionally bankrupt. So again, what has your issue cost you?
3. What do you have to press through?
As we continue we see that Jesus was being thronged. The best visual I can give you for what “thronged” looked like is this. Remember the Beatles or Elvis in their hay day? Ok, that’s thronged, hard to get near, crowded with society. However, the crowd was not her only obstacles. No, in fact she knew before she began that if she had been caught in public with an “issue of blood” they could have & would have stoned her in public. She knew that she had to press through the shame that had caused her to be in that state in the first place and yet she pressed! So my question to you today is what do you have to press through to touch Him, disappointment, hopelessness, shame, unbelief, pride or the crowd? I would encourage you that whatever your hindrances or reservations press. Press because He is not a respecter of persons. Press because He is the same yesterday today and forever. Press because you will experience the same result she did. Power!
4. Power
Power went out of Him because she touched Him with not only her fingers, but even more so with her faith. You know what is interesting to me in this recount? If Jesus was being “thronged” and He was, I wonder how many other people must have touched him that day and didn’t get healed? People who were doing it because it was the religious thing to do, the popular thing, the “in” thing for the day, and yet only one (1) got healed. That one was the one who touched Him with her faith. Not a casual encounter, but a committed, conscientious effort to reach out to Him. It is important that you know He has never stopped reaching to you from his outstretched arms on the cross. Christian or non Christian he took the shame and the burden of His cross so that we would not be crushed by the weight of ours. Isaiah 59:1 Tells us His ear is not deaf to hear our cry and His hand is not too short to reach down and save.
A New Day – In closing hear the Words of Jesus, from. (Matt 11:29) Come to me all you who are burdened and heavy labored and I will give you rest. For my burden is easy and my yoke is light. His words to the women will be His words to you today. “Be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. A new day… you entered with torment & you leave with peace, now that’s something worth pressing into.
Love & Blessings,
Denise