Mark 5:25-34 (NLT)
25 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.
30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
We like the woman's story because in faith she pressed in to Jesus, touched Him, and was healed. How would we feel about the same story if in faith she pressed in, touched Him, and was not healed? Clearly, this is not what happened in the scripture and there is not reason to speculate on her behalf. However, there are times in our lives when we reach out to the Lord in faith and do not see the results we hoped for. The woman had faith that Jesus could heal her. Jesus would not have been less powerful if He had not healed her nor would her faith have been less real. It's a hard lesson, but we need to learn to trust in Jesus' sovereignty regardless of the outcome. He will always act for "our good and for his glory" as Jerry Bridges states in his book, Trusting God. The woman's faith made her whole spiritually the same as your faith and mine have made us whole. Remember when Jesus said of the lame man, "Which is easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Take up your mat and walk'?"(Mark 2:9-10) In what area of your life do you need Jesus' healing? Don't lose heart! Continue to press in to Him in faith fully believing that He is able to heal you. While you wait, know that He is working all things together for your good (Rom. 8:28) and your faith is being strengthened as you learn to trust His sovereignty.
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