Your faith has made you well!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control; against such things, there is no law."

The fruit of faithfulness, without this fruit there would be no fruit bowl. The entire book from Genesis to Revelation is based on faith. When I looked up the word faith in the dictionary, I found two great definitions; one is a firm belief in something which there is no proof, the other is complete trust. The bible tells us that faith is a two part word. Romans 10:9 says "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

In Mark there is a story of a woman who was bleeding non stop for twelve years. I don't know about you but before my hysterectomy I couldn't handle once a month, but twelve years? Talk about hormone issues. Even the guys can chuckle here. It says she spent every penny she had on doctors, trying to get well. So here she is, bleeding, tired, and broke. She hears this Jesus guy is coming through town. She lines up with the rest of them in the streets trying to get a glimpse. The people there, I would imagine are all kinds, some believers, some seekers, some mockers, you know, just like us. As Jesus walks, the people begin to press toward Him. Everyone wants to be there and be a part of what is taking place even if they don't believe. As this woman stands suffering, I wonder what she was thinking. I want to be well, but I can't go ask him. What do I do, I didn't come all this way for nothing. The bible tells us she said "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." Mark 5:28

She is at a the crossroad of fear and faith, which way will she go? She wants to be well, she knows she will be well if she just touches him, however, she is terrified. Desperate for healing, she veers down the road of faith. Touching just a mere fringe of the garment of Jesus, her bleeding immediately stops. Can you imagine an instant healing like that? It had to be quite surreal to be standing there in disbelief that she had the courage to touch him, the man they called the Messiah. She had to also be elated that twelve years of suffering was over. But before she can get used to this faith thing, it was time for the next step. Jesus stops in His tracks and asks "Who was it that touched me?" Luke 8:45 She found herself right back at that crossroad again, only this time it was harder. How can she tell Jesus it was her? Everyone would hear her tell Him, although everyone will eventually know she is healed anyway when she doesn't need doctors any longer. Again, He says "Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me." Luke 8:46

Realizing that Jesus already knows, she makes another correct turn down the road of faith and falls, trembling at His feet proclaiming to Him and all the people around that it was her and she is now healed. She lies there waiting to see what will happen to her next. Did she come all this way to be healed only to end up punished for crossing the line? So again she waits in faith to see what Jesus has to say.

Wow, what an example of faith, not only to touch Jesus, the healer, but to admit it in front of God and man. I can't decide which healing was better, the one in her body or the healing in her soul. After Jesus sees her obedience, He replies "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." Luke 8:48 Did you catch that? Her faith is what made her well. It was not the touching of the garment in and of itself; it was the faith it took to touch it and the faith that believed healing would follow. You see if she would have just been healed by touching the garment of Jesus, she would have walked away healed of her problem. This probably would have seemed good enough, but a deeper level of healing was available to her and she had the faith to take it. She had been called to not only believe she would be healed, but also to trust Jesus with her life, with her future as she spoke the words of faith to those around her.

Like this woman, we are all bleeding. What are you bleeding, the pain of the loss of a loved one, the bitterness of a failed marriage, the shame from past abuse? We've all been there, bleeding over something, maybe not physically but emotionally and spiritually. We all need healing of some kind. The healing Jesus speaks of in the bible is eternal healing. Did you ever notice how He tells people that it is their faith that has made them well? He also states that it is the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy (Mark 2:17). When He says sick, He is referring to the ones with no faith. I have to ask you how is your faith? How are you? Are you well? If you could use a little more faith in your life and if you need to see a doctor, I know a Great Physician. Let me know, I can help you get in touch with Him, in the mean time you can call to Him anytime in prayer.

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