Faith Bigger Than Fear

I’ve long been drawn to the story of the bleeding woman mentioned in Mark 5. She represents so many of today’s women including myself. When I’ve longed for healing from a sickness that I’ve battled over the last five years (another story for another day) I,like her,only have my faith in the healing powers of Jesus.

I then wonder what this bleeding looks like in today’s woman?

Are you bleeding financially?

Are you bleeding from an overbooked schedule?

Are you bleeding from past failures?

Are you bleeding from health issues?

Are you bleeding in your marriage?

Are you bleeding from infertility?

Are you bleeding from children who are making bad choices out of your control?

Are you bleeding from your own laziness/undisciplined choices?

This woman fought years,12 years according to scripture, for healing. She could almost be our entire list from above.

She struggled financially because she spent all her money on doctors.

She couldn’t have intimacy in her marriage if she was even married.

She couldn’t be hugged or kissed by her children if she had any.

She couldn’t have friendships because she couldn’t go out in public.

See in her culture she was labeled unclean, she couldn’t touch others, prepare anyone else’s food, be seen in public. She was a total outcast.

Yet she hadn’t run out of faith, she still had the reserves to reach out to Jesus. I know I can start to feel my faith waiver long before the end of a 12 year journey. That is a long time to pray, cry out, to beg the Lord for an answer and hear silence.

Until one day – one glorious day – the prompting to reach out. To take the shaky step of faith for healing. Verse 28 tells us “she thought to herself, If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

Then can you imagine her thoughts? “Oh my, really, I’m healed? Uh oh, he noticed. I’m unclean. Will I be punished?”

But she was only met with love.

I believe Jesus knew her heart. Along with those watching. That the healing couldn’t go unrecognized, this healing needed to be public because her shame had been quite public. So He stopped, turned to the crowd and said, “Who touched my robe?”

The disciples responded with, “in this crowd, who knows, lets go.” They were in a hurry to get to the house of the local synagogue leader, his daughter was dying. But Jesus wasn’t in a hurry he knew the importance of this moment.He kept searching for the one who had touched Him.

She then came, trembling and fell to her knees at His feet to confess what she had done. He responded with “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” What a miracle, complete and instant healing. See Jesus isn’t just in the business of healing bodies but our spirits as well. He wanted to make sure that the crowd and this woman saw the healing. She had been isolated for 12 years unclean, untouchable. It’s hard for me to grasp the heartache that amount of loneliness would bring.

I think the greatest thing is the teaching that came from the healing. While He was ministering to this woman, the child He was on His way to heal, died. The crowds are probably beginning to mumble “this distraction cost a good man’s daughter’s life. Look what this unclean, unworthy woman caused.” One response was “there is no use troubling the teacher now.” Such hopelessness.

Oh how sweet is the knowledge that our Jesus is bigger than 12 years of bleeding and of death, we only need faith. This child awoke from sleeping as Jesus called it, restored and healthy. Hope restored.

Are we allowing ourselves to be defined by what we bleed, our problems, our past, our brokenness? Will we have the faith to cry out to the Lord for healing, restoration, and hope, with faith like this woman? Our healing may not be instant, it may not be public. But it will come. It may not be your version of healing. But it will come.

Jesus will bring the healing you need and seek when you continue to have faith in Him. So press on dear sisters, the Lord is always close.

Love and Blessings

Winter

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