REACH OUT!

There is a woman told of in the Bible, who had an issue of blood for 12 years. She had spent all she had seeking the help of physicians but none of them could heal her. Today, that would still be a terrible thing, but at least today we would not be shunned.

In Biblical times, especially in the Jewish communities there were laws that governed uncleanness. 

“If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.” Leviticus 15:25

Any person in this situation should have been separated from people, no one was to touch them or anything they sat or laid on. Anyone who did touch them would be considered unclean until the evening of that day. 

“When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.” Leviticus 5:19

So, this woman was in a crowd of people, as Jesus was walking by. No one was paying her any attention. She had heard the accounts of how Jesus had healed people and all that he had done. And as He passed by her, she extended her hand and touched just the hem of His garment. Immediately the flow of blood stopped! Jesus perceiving that power had gone out of Him asked, “Who has touched me?”

Well, being the wise guy that Peter is, he said, “Lord, you are in a crowd of people pressing you on all sides and yet you ask, “who touched me?” I can see a bewildered yet sarcastic look of Peter’s face as he says this.

Let me stop right here for a bit! There are people to the right, the left, the front, the back, and all-around Jesus. They had to be touching Him as they moved. What made this woman’s touch different? Think about it! I am sure the disciples had touched Him many times, but no power had gone out of Him that we know of. What made this touch so unique??? Let me continue the accounting.

Jesus answers Peter, “someone touched me because I felt power leave me.” The woman saw that she could no longer hide, she fearfully came toward Him and fell before Him. She declared, “I am the one who touched you!”

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Luke 8:48

WOW! There is the difference! FAITH! She believed with all she had that He could heal her. That if she just reached her hand out and touched Him, she would be healed.

How often do we struggle with physical pain, emotional hurts, spiritual battles, loneliness, depression, financial difficulties, and a myriad of other things that plague our lives like this issue plagued this woman? We sit around and worry, cry, or have a pity party because our lives are so messed up.

We need to reach out! God is right there, right by you, right by me, and all He is waiting for is a touch of your Faith.

“You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:2-3

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8

Today, we can not physically touch Christ like the woman did but we can pray and call out, reach out! The problem is we don’t have the things we ask for because we ask the wrong way. We ask out of passion or wants and without Faith!

We ask wavering-not sure what we should be asking or if God will really give us what we ask for. If we ask in faith, He is faithful and will give us all we need.

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:27-33 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:7-11

God will not always give us our “wants”. But our needs will always be supplied.

 ^"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19

It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask for what we “want”. I think if what we want, will aid in the furtherance of God’s Kingdom, or in bringing glory to Him then we should ask for it.

The moral or the takeaway from this woman’s life is – REACH OUT – TOUCH GOD – Ask Him in FAITH to heal you, your friends, your family, to supply your needs and for the things you want that will bring Him Glory. Just reach out and touch the hem of His garment!

Thanks for reading this blog post. And as always God Bless each of you!