In life there are times our lives get turned 180 degrees from where we currently are. These are rare times and often they involve the impact of other people touching us somehow. On my way to work today I was listening to Nicole Mullen and I was pondering just how God was about to take me to a 180 point in my life and then through one of her songs I saw something in scripture I had never seen before...I knew this was a blog moment....
5:27 She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 5:28 For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." 5:29 And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
So lets briefly review here. If you want to read her story it begins in Mark 25 and it just tells us this woman had a flow of blood for 12 years and suffered under the hands of many physicians and only grew worse. Now, to me it would have been so easy for her to be leery, but no, she heard the reports of Jesus and believed so much in him that she KNEW, if I but just touch his garments I WILL be healed. (vs 28) Then she sought the man...
5:30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" 5:31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" 5:32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 5:33 But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 5:34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
I believe the ONLY reason Jesus sought her out was to tell her to go in peace. She already knew she had been healed. He did not want her to worry, or fret, or do any strange treatments, or suffer at the hands of physicians anymore. This was a done deal, she was healed. But something REALLY struck me here. This is the ONLY time in scripture that I know of that Jeusus' power was tapped into where he did not freely give it, or speak it, THEN it was done. This is truly amazing to me.
Then I started to think...when God is moving in our lives and turning them at those rare times 180 degrees, it generally takes power. A magnificent healing touch. And it takes contact, human contact. These are just things I have noted over time. As I was pondering all this I felt God quicken this question to my spirit, "Have you ever accessed this power in someone before or has someone accessed it in you?"
My answer to both those questions was, YES! And I started then to get it....see I had this marvelous step-daddy who LOVED GOD. I KNEW he was placed in our lives by the Lord for our benefit. I loved and adored this man and I found such healing under him. He healed my soul, my heart, my emotions, and one day I found he could heal my body. Now, I understand this was the power of God in him but when this man layed hands on me, I was miraculously healed, one time of paralysis after a car accident even. Every single time he layed hands on me and prayed I was healed. So...I subsequently raised my children the same way expecting no less of the God in me. I lay hands on my children and they heal too. Sometimes it is a process...like for example: my son had a stroke before he was born, today he is whole. He has smaller muscle mass on his right side and no reflexes, BUT equal strengthon his right as his left, I think God did that just to show His doctors who say "that is impossible", that nothing is impossible with God...I was told he might never walk without assistant, and he would never ride a bike, or play sports. I didn't accept that, and I pushed my boy, and I kept telling him...you CAN and you WILL...and I prayed..and prayed...and he did, and he does....
Then this got me to think maybe this is one reason some people are healed say at Benny Hinn crusades and others aren't. See I believed in my daddy, I saw him I believe with Gods eyes, I saw his frailties but I loved him anyway, my siblings never got what I did from that relationship, but they did not see him as I did nor did they believe in him the way I do. Your kids for example have not lived me with me, they are not going to believe in me the way they believe in you. To me this is very close to accomplished kids in parenting. If you meet them or listen to an interview they always talk about how someone close to them believed in them and it helped to make them great. I just think of how Michael Jordan talks of his mom here for example.
See, we are never going to get from our kids, our parents, our spouse, our pastors, or God what we don't believe they are capable of. I truly believe that. If you believe that the gifts are not for today, and God does not heal, then you won't have them and you will be sick, and it is that simple. If you see your spouse/children with Gods eyes and not your own then they are going to be capable of so much more...and what POWER are you going to be able to pull out of them? I think this is an honest question we should ask ourselves....are you willing to touch the hem of their garments, and when you do, what do you honestly expect?
1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might 1:20 which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Lori, All I can say is Wow! I have read that story many times. Never thought of it in that way and I will never again read it the same. Thank you for sharing this part of your life. You have shown me a great truth. By you sharing...(which is exactly what I was referring to on Mike and Laura's latest blog) I have learned something so valuable and hopeful about God's power! Thank you.
We will only receive from God to the extent that we believe God. And He is Spirit. Spirits need a physical body to operate through and He operates in the bodies of those of us that have been born anew.
God's giver is never broken. It's our receivers that need tuning. When we get tuned in and turned on to the Spirit of God that works through humans, then we are able to pull on that power that resides within us and within them!
Praise God.
Great blog and a very beautiful song. Thanks for being you!
I agree Mike. We have each been given the measure of faith. And it is not only our own faith that we operate on, but the faith of the son of God.
I wasn't implying that we need greater faith. Maybe what I was trying to say is that we needed less unbelief. There are several scriptural examples of Jesus telling even his disciples that they needed less unbelief and not more faith.
My comment, in accordance with some of Lori's statements, was that we receive from God in accordance to how we believe God. Like she said, if we do not believe that the gifts are operable today, and that physical healing is available today, then there is a pretty good chance that we will not experience that healing. Likewise it is with miracles of any other sort. Small faith, yes. But even smaller unbelief. In my opinion, there is a difference.
I truly believe that it is really not the amount of faith we have, but how we act upon that faith that brings results. Just like the woman in this story. It was the act of reaching that pulled on His healing power.
I think too of the blind man that Jesus rubbed mud onto his eyes. Was the mud the healing element? Of course not. But when Jesus told him to go to the pool and wash that mud He was more or less prompting that man to act on his faith. When he himself removed the mud, then he was healed.
Now I am just rambling and seems to have even lost my own train of thought which is not surprising.
Thanks again Lori. I'll be pondering on this for a while.
Valerie...you are more than welcome...I love it when God does this kind of stuff to me, trust me this will keep me thinking for awhile. I think of what that woman did and I just think....what choice did she have? She had done everything but I cannot tell you how many people I treat that relish in sickness or never seek true healing...She was different and a true example for us in scripture for sure...
Michael...That is so good! Gods giver is never broken! I LOVE THAT!
Mike & Laura...Thanks so much! Again compliments from you I take very highly!
Wow once again...don't ya just love it when something like this is dropped right into your spirit!!!! This is one of my favorite stories, yet I never caught that either...
I pray for my children that they can and will be used of God in a mighty way...I want them to understand and see their Abba Father so much more than what I do...and at 6 & 7 I see wisdom in them that far surpasses any adult...because of their faith in their God...I do believe in the gifts and I pray they are sought after and received...but more importantly, shared...thanks for this word...it is a blessing...
Thank you so Ms Sugar...isn't it amazing how children can so simply see God and isn't it amazing how we can do when we are placed in a sitution of deepest need. THAT is where we find him in love usually....I just want to find Him in the everyday mundane I don't want to have to get to a place of desperation to touch his hem...know what I mean?
I know exactly what you mean Lori...the supernatural should be our natural...we should be walking in the Blessing...the giftings...on a daily basis...ya know people say don't let God become commomplace in your life so you won't become complacient with Him...well He should be commonplace, because you can't spend time in His Presence without being changed and wanting more...then you also begin to see Him in EVERYTHING...you daydream about Him...and you can't help but do His Will...
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