“Daughter, your faith has healed you."

    The story begins with a woman who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years, and she hears about Jesus coming into town, and though the streets are crowded beyond belief, she takes a leap of faith and goes anyway hoping that she will be healed. As Jesus moves through the crowd, she touches just a fringe of His garment, and is immediately healed!

    If we have grown up in church, we have heard this story multiple times. But a few weeks ago, I heard this and it was like I had heard it for the first time. I love that about the Lord. He lets you kinda skim past a story in the past, and then you hear it again, thinking, "Oh I've heard this before...." and try to tune out, and then the Lord directs your attention to His word....His living and breathing word...that brings healing and forgiveness from "mere pages."

   When I heard the story of this woman, I began to cry. Though I haven't had the problem she had, I have seen healing in my life and I am still in need of it. Why would an amazing a powerful God want to heal me? Because He is that gracious and loving...not only to me but to those reading this and to those around the world.

What struck me though was this part of the story: that she just touched a fringe of His garment. When I think of the word "fringe" I think about like a piece of thread or just like a small piece of fabric....that is all it took to heal her. Amazing. That is the power of the God we serve. As a commentary by Matthew Henry states,

"by a peculiar impulse of the Spirit of faith, she believed Him to have such an overflowing fulness of healing virtue, that every touch of His garment would be her cure. ...She believed she should be healed if she did but [just] touch the very hem of HIs garment, the very extremity of it." 

I was reading in my study Bible about how this woman, who had this problem for many years, was considered "unclean" in her society. So "unclean" that she couldn't even enter into the Lord's house to worship. Anything she sat on or touched or even by going into a room, it had to be shut off and cleaned and left for a certain number of days before it could be used again. She must have had some reputation..."There goes that woman who is unclean..." What it must have been like to hear that over and over again for 12 years. She spent all her money trying to get healed, and trying to find some answer to her problem, then she heard that this Jesus was coming, and that He performed miracles... and then, a glimpse of Hope... 

Sounds like my life... over and over I mess up. I seem to be doing fine, then I mess up by sinning, and get knocked to the ground. Over and over this happens, and I hear that same old story, "You're down again? You messed up again? Oh, come on, He will never take you back now..." The enemy loves to hold me down and tell me lie after lie... and I believe him, and therefore, I stay down. Forgetting the forgiveness in the Healer's hands. And I begin to lose my faith... the faith that I remembered just a few months ago that got me out of another mess, the faith that brought the Light to my eyes in the beginning, the faith that can move mountains. I forget... then.. BAM it hits me! No, I can and I will get up from this pit. The enemy cannot hold me down any longer, and I refuse to let him do it. I will send him back to Hell where he truly belongs with his lies and evil schemes. The Lord revealed to me while reading through this passage that just the smallest bit of faith will do so much... Remember the mustard seed? 

Wow. faith as small as a mustard seed, can move a mountain. "the fringe of His garment..." can heal a woman of a disease. The "smallest" part of faith and Jesus can save and heal us with a Mighty power. 

Back to the story... so once she touches His garment... she knows what she has done... though she is healed immediately, she remembers her past and remembers that she isn't even allowed to come near the Rabbi's, because, remember she is "unclean." Though the miraculous part is, Jesus stops and asks, "Who touched me?" He knew all along who it was...but He... a Rabbi in His time... turned to her...and she, "...came in fear and trembling and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth." She knew she did something she wasn't suppose to do, yet He looked on her with compassion and uttered the most beautiful words to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace..." She was waiting for correction and condemnation, but received compassion and mercy instead.Matthew Henry says, "He called her daughter, for He spoke to her with the tenderness of a father."

That is me. knowing I have done wrong in the eyes the Holy and Righteous One...yet He says to me, "Daughter..." that alone makes me marvel. He sees us as His children, HIS CHILDREN! A Holy, Righteous, Almighty God, sees you and I as His child. He calls us Daughters and Sons... what a privilege. So take heart. those that are reading this... if you struggle with something that you think God can't heal you of, or you have been sick for a while, GOD CAN HEAL YOU. It may not happen immediately, but just have the faith that He will, and in HIS timing, it will happen. God sees the innermost being of us... He knows our struggles and knows our desires, run to Him with those, and trust that He will carry you through. Don't dwell on what you used to be or what the enemy (who's native tongue is lies) is telling you, cling to who God calls you, "Daughter" or "Son." and hold on to His unfailing love for you. No matter what you think it is, He will forgive you and heal you. Let His promises dwell in your heart. 

i cling to the Rock...

Hear my cry, O God, 

listen to my prayer;

from the end of the earth I call to

You

when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock 

that is higher than I,

for You have been my Refuge,

a strong tower against the enemy. 

-Psalm 61:1-3(ESV)

I first read this verse while I was at camp this summer. I was having just a really bad week, and I was stressed out and just not "feeling it." I have held on to this verse ever since then. Because my heart does not just grow faint one time, but usually it gets weary and tired from time to time. And I love that the Lord allows that to happen, call me crazy, but I just think He must have a purpose for it :) 

He could have enabled us with hearts strong as anything and able withstand anything and everything, but He didn't, He made me weak, feeble, frail. Note the key word in the verse above is "when" not if, when, meaning it will come up again and again.  Those are things I hate to admit to myself sometimes. But truth is, I am. I cannot do anything apart from the mercy and sovereignty of the Almighty Father, which makes me so obviously weak. But the good news is, I have, and you have, a merciful Father, that gives us His amazing word, with verses like the one above. "Lead me to the Rock..." mmm such amazing words. but the humbling part is "...that is higher than I." so many times I want to think I have in all in control, and that nothing can ruin or "mess" up this plan, then God comes in and what does He do? He seems to mess up everything I had plan! But He brings me to my knees and reminds me that He is higher than I, He knows far better, and He is in control of my life. Psalm 62:11-12 (ESV) says, "Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to You, O Lord, belongs steadfast love..." He has the power to whatever He wants and pleases with my life, all I have to do is trust that His plan is better than anything I can think of, and that He "...who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." (Eph. 3:20) can surely do it. 

It isn't about me. Plain and simple. I can't even imaging or think of what God has in store for me! But I know with all my heart that His plan will be infinitely greater than what I, a sinful human being, could ever think of. Wouldn't you rather take hold of, and have the Creator of the universe, show you what He has planned for you? I take hold of it with "feeble fingers", and trust that His plan is perfect. 

My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me. 

-Psalm 63:8 

I cry out to God Most High;to God 

who fulfills His purpose 

for me.

-Psalm 57:2

new blog....

Okay. This is my first time trying a blog in a while, so bear with me...here it goes! I hope all of you have had a wonderful week so far! it is almost friday! =)


This week as been long.. and challenging.
   I am listening to "Mercy Seat" from the Travis Cotrell CD, and I teared up, at the part where it says, "I'm running, I'm running, I'm running to the mercy seat." That is me, everyday. I fail the Lord so much in just one day. I picture myself, literally running to the mercy seat of God, and begging for His forgiveness, and amazingly, finding that His forgiveness overflows out of His love and into my life. "His blood will flow freely, it will provide the healing..." amen to that.


   We don't have to get our life straight and ACT like the "perfect child" that we think God needs. No, we come as we are and God takes us in. And with that, we leave what we used to be and embrace who He has called us to be. And I think that is the hardest part for me... I put God in this human perspective, and think that He can't possibly forgive me again. Again Lord? Are You sure? But, Lord, You see me and see what I did, and heard what I said, how come? These questions fill my mind every time I sin, and the enemy loves to remind me (and you) of what we have done in our past and what we did today, and that is when we are blinded by the enemy's lies, because they seem true. We are utterly helpless on our own, and we truly are condemned...without Christ. Those are the key words..."without Christ." And I know that I get caught up in this, but Christ has to tell me "You are forgiven! Don't you remember?" That is why He tells us in His word to remember what He has done! Isaiah 46:9 says,


Remember the former things, those of long ago; 
       I am God, and there is no other; 
       I am God, and there is none like Me.

there. is. no. other. Plainly said, there is absolutely no one like our God. No one else can provide the healing, no one else can save me from my sin, no one can give me life. No one. And with that being in my head, you would think that I would remember that "simple" Truth. But that is where my flesh takes over and thinks that God isn't enough, but that is when I am brought to my knees and reminded the same thing that Paul was reminded, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."(2 Cor. 12:9) Whether I'm having a bad day or the best day ever,God's grace is enough...God, the Creator of the universe, that makes my heart beat, the One that wakes me up in the morning, the only One, provides all sufficient grace...to me...and you. He meets us where we are, no matter what road we are on... He has been there with us every step of the way, and He isn't letting go. Now that is something I can hold on to and let echo in my mind when the enemy tells me who I was. 

"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." (2 Cor. 15:22)

So if you find yourself questioning God's love, don't. It will leave you doubting even more because we cannot comprehend this amazing love He gives us. Just trust in it and have faith that His word is True. A quote from a book I read a while back said that "God doesn't condemn us, He calls us." Condemnation is only found through the enemy, God offers a great but a challenging call.... "follow Me." He offers us everlasting Life, a love that won't let go no matter what storm comes, and forgiveness that overflows. 

Take Him at His word, He won't disappoint you.