The Bleeding Woman: Faith in Healing
Friday, Week 2 of Beautifully Surrendered, A Love God Greatly Study
Today’s Reading: Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:40-48; SOAP: Mark 5:34
And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
Mark 5:34 NLT
My Observations:
The verse we are focusing on today starts with, “He said to her …” but you have to read the passage to see the fuller picture of why He said it. Her face to face encounter with Jesus happened because “she heard about Jesus”. What she heard she must have believed because she acted on her faith and by Jesus’ own words – “her faith made her well”.
Don’t miss that her faith had a focus point. While I’m sure as I can be that she had not forgotten her disease and how sick she was – the picture painted with the words of Mark show us that her focus was on Jesus and His power to heal – “If only I touch His clothes, I will be healed”. Because of her internal FAITH she reached out and touched his clothes, perhaps just the hem of His garment, but this was enough to cause healing power to flow from Jesus to her. They both felt it and were brought face to face as Jesus looked for the one who had reached out to Him. Bowed before Him in fear and trembling she unfolds her story to Him and He pronounces her healed and sends her on in peace. Her life forever changed.
THE BIG PICTURE
There are certain people in my life that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt would do anything in the world to help me if I was stranded somewhere or had a need of any kind. However, despite the deepest trust I have in them, they will not help me if I don’t make the need known to them. This is why I believe it’s important to note that the woman in today’s story acted on her faith. She didn’t simply hear about Jesus and believe shut her eyes and wish He would heal her disease. She believed enough to press in close and reach out and touch His garment. She had internal faith that became an external action and it changed her life.
Internal faith is powerful and when it’s acted on it’s life changing – especially if the focus of the faith is Jesus!
Me-from the Inside-out 2022
How Then Should We Live?
Believe, live, and act like this woman. We should live by faith not by sight, making sure our focus is on Jesus, not the problem. Reach out to Jesus, press into Him, with fear and trembling bow before Him. Tell Him the whole story and wait for His response – it may be healing or provision, or perhaps it will be comfort or renewed strength. It may look like what we imagined or something a bit different than we hoped for but His answer will always be the best answer and the right answer. We must remember, as with this woman, it is our faith that moves the heart of Jesus. Paul said that God, through the power that is working in us, can do immeasurably more than we ask or even imagine, and both Matthew and Mark wrote in their Gospels how all things are possible with God. Perhaps the first place we should start is by asking ourselves – do I believe these truths – So much so, that even touching the hem of His garment would make a difference?
20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,
Ephesians 3:20
My Prayer Response:
Father, every day I pray – thanking You, petitioning You, crying out to You on behalf of others as well as myself. I confess it is easy to pray, because I love talking to/with You, but I am reminded by this passage that I sometimes pray absentmindedly. Or, I pray small prayers when You are a very big God. Help me to pray big prayers, to be alert when I pray, to pray with my focus, not on my need or problems, but on You, Your Son, and Your Spirit – through whom all blessings flow. Help me to not only live a life of faith but to pray in faith believing that You can do abundantly more than I ask or even imagine. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!