Sunday, October 13, 2013
Grabbing Hold Of God
There are times in life when our relationship with God can be what I would call more passive. We feel comfortable in life and comfortable with God. There are other times in life when we feel a more definite need for His presence in our life. We may need an answer to a pressing question, deliverance from a financial problem, or perhaps healing from an internal or an outward affliction. When one of these happens to us, we may try to grab hold of God. It happened in the scriptures to Jesus (Yeshua).
In Mark there is an interesting record of such an event.
Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
This is the story of the woman that touched the hem of the Messiah’s garment. While this story has been told many times, there were some point that I had not seen before as I read this scripture this morning. Let me share what I saw anew.
The woman was desperate. I cannot imagine what it would be like to have a major affliction for 12 years. And this affliction would have separated her from her people because she would have been “unclean” according to the law. She had been to many doctors, but that only made it worse. Sometimes doctors do not have all the answers. She was determined to get to Jesus (Yeshua) believing that He had healing power. Now here is one of those things I saw. Jesus had not died and been raised from the dead yet. She was not trusting in His death and resurrection, she was trusting that He had God in Him. She knew God wants people whole, wanted her whole, and she was going to get to the God in Him, grab hold, and not let go till she was healed, which she believed would happen when she touched Him. It was this faith in the God in Him that drove her, a sickly woman, through a crowd that despised her.
The next thing that I saw that I had not seen before cam in the initial response of Jesus (Yeshua).
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
When the lady touched Him, Jesus (Yeshua) felt the healing go out of Him into her. He began to ask who had done it. The disciples said there was no way of knowing because of the size of the crowd around Him. Here are the new points I saw today. When we grab hold of God, He feels it – He knows. When God feels us grab hold, He turns to us, just as Jesus (Yeshua) did in this case. The scriptures teach that Jesus was all knowing, so He knew already who touched Him. This brings up more firsts for me. Why did He ask who touched me? Perhaps to let the disciples know something about healing. It was not a complaint for sure. In fact, I believe it was an invitation for the woman to come closer, which is what she did.
Mark 5:33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
She cam to Him in a submissive way, telling Him her story. This is what we are to do with God. Let Him know what has been happening. We know that when we are not in the best state with God, we can come to Him for wholeness, and He responds. She appeared to be fearful. After all, she was unclean when she touched Him. His response is perhaps the best part.
Mark 5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
He blessed her. He did not tell her to stay away because she was messed up. He did not look down on her and warn her not to do it again. And apparently there was still something to be done because He told her to be whole, completing the healing.
What I learned today is that God wants to be in our lives, whether we are “unclean” or not. In fact, we will likely be that way often. That is why we need the Messiah. God wants us to grab hold, believing that He is on our side. And when we do, His response will be that of a loving Father (Jesus called her daughter), and He will make us whole.
Prayer
Father, we praise You today for all that You are. We thank You for your unfailing love. Please help each of us today. Please help us to grab hold and not let go. Please give us deliverance from sickness and plague, from financial lack and resource needs, please heal us inside, that we may give all glory and honor to You. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.