Luke 8:43-48
43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Isn't this woman’s faith amazing? Here comes a bit of a soapbox…being a woman is hard. There are so many unmentionables that go along with being a female. This poor woman had to endure one of those in a time that was even harder in terms of personal hygiene and the acceptance of being able to openly share that problem with others. She was deemed legally unclean because of her bleeding disorder; something over which she had no control and did seek assistance for.
The first definition of faith is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” This unnamed woman’s faith is an inspiration to me. The difficulties that she had to endure for twelve long years are mountains compared to the molehills I complain about in my life. The struggles that I have to “endure” are more often because I am blessed beyond measure.
This woman not only had immense faith to know that just touching the edge of Jesus’s clothes would heal her but also enormous courage to be in public and then share the story of her affliction and the subsequent healing. She had been shunned for years as being unclean. To publicly reveal the details of her condition was potentially humiliating.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, please give me the devotion to follow in the path of your son so closely that His dust falls on me, and when I stumble, to have the faith to reach out and grab the hem of his garment knowing that I will be restored and healed.
Written by Carrie Richardson
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