We find in three of the gospels the very well known story of the woman with the "issue" of blood. As the story goes, this woman had suffered with her issue for twelve long years. She had given all her living to doctors. She had spent all she had. She was an outcast due to her condition. She was unable to live a normal life. Imagine all that she missed struggling with this issue for all that time. Interestingly we tend to focus on the woman's issue and perhaps we identify with her because we've got some issues of our own that are keeping us on the outside of the life we truly want to live.
But my instruction today is to reveal to you how impressed Jesus was with this woman's press. Imagine, if you will, the pressure on her mind and on her heart in dealing with her illness over such a long span of time. Some of us can't go through anything for two minutes, what if you had to be separated from everybody for twelve years! What if you couldn't get out and go shopping or go to work or to school or to church even? What if the issue that you were wrestling with brought so much shame and grief to your life that it kept you bound for 12 years? That's the place this woman found herself. She was broke financially. She was tired physically. She was drained emotionally. She was just spent entirely. But note that it was the very thing that she struggled with that compelled her to seek out Jesus. She had become desperate for a change.
Are you at that place? Are you desperate for change? She was. She was thirsty for a life altering divine appointment that she never imagined would impress Jesus. This woman was so desperate that in spite of her condition and the law that made it illegal for her to be in the crowd of folks she pressed her way. Can you see her? Can you see her squeezing through the throng of people all trying to touch the Master? Can you imagine her falling to the ground and crawling? She's made it up in her mind that she doesn't need to get His full attention even. She just wants to touch the hem of His clothes. She just wants to reach out to Him. And so she does. So much so that Jesus stops turns and says , "Who touched me?". The disciples were confused. They looked on the crowd and saw a crowd of folks all "touching" Jesus, but they failed to see the one whom He had touched as a result of her faith. The disciples saw many, but Jesus looked at the crowd and saw one. One impressive woman who exercised great faith!
He said to His disciples that He knew that someone had touched Him because virtue went out of Him. Does your press compell God to act on your behalf? Does it compell Him to bring attention to your faithfulness? In spite of the millions upon millions that pray to Him daily does your press cause God to pause and to respond to your situation? When we get desperate enough and when we have no more means to try to make something happen on our own maybe we will press our way into the presence of an awesome God. Maybe we will lift our hands to the Father for Him to pick us up like a child does with her parent. Maybe we will press our way with our faith into a place in God where He is compelled to heal and deliver us. Today be determined to impress Him with your press. Don't stop trying to touch Him because He so wants to touch you too. If you have got to crawl, do it. If you've got to just touch the very hem, do it. Whatever you need to do to impress Him with your press, do it! Get to the place in your Christian walk where your heart is fixed and your mind is completely made up that it's for God you'll live and for Him you'll die. Don't allow your issue to keep you from the Master; rather, allow it to draw you to Him seeking the life altering change you need. Healing is one press away. Keep pressing your way!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Listen up
It's so awesome to see a new year. For the first time in many years I made no New Year's resolutions. The only thing that I'm resolved to do, for the remainder of my life, is to be absorbed into God's perfect will. In the words of the Psalm
, I wish to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God. To that end, I've made up my mind not to make any moves without hearing from God.
Yesterday, a friend admonished that so often people hear what they want rather than what the person is actually communicating. I agreed. I think not listening is at the center of so much miscommunication and hence ruined relationships.
Consider the eleventh chapter of John. It is the well read and well known story of Jesus' dear friend Lazarus. As the story goes, Jesus was informed that Lazarus was ill and it was feared that without Jesus' intervention that Lazarus would die. Upon hearing the unctioning for Him to come, Jesus stated plainly what was going to happen. Here is where my friend's statement comes to life. No one really listened to what Jesus said. Jesus was clear that Lazerus' condition was not about his dying, rather it was about showing the power of God. So folks went their way with the hope that based upon the love that Jesus had for His friend and the relationship that had been built, that Jesus would come quickly and address the matter, make Lazarus whole again and all would be right in their world once again. But this is why it is so important to listen and to accept what is actually said. It must have pained Jesus greatly to fully realize that His words were entirely mistaken and that as a result people whom He cared for greatly would wind up hurt, disappointed and frustrated. But Jesus knew the greater purpose of His work and in spite of how much it must have pained Him, he stayed away, allowed His friend to pass and for people to feel toward Him as they must. The Bible says that Martha met Jesus and advised Him that Lazarus was dead. Jesus' response was to "groan" inside Himself. Why? Because He already recognized that there had been some mis-understanding. Before He could get into the town good, folks were mad and hurt, Mary-that same Mary who had anointed Jesus' feet with oil and washed His feet with her hair, was among the most hurt. She didn't even go out with her sister to meet Jesus when her sister went be ause she was dealing with her hurt and disappointment over her own misunderstanding. The issue? She didn't listen to Jesus' words. She heard through the filter of her own desires. I imagine her mind went through what most of us go through at similar junctures of misunderstanding. She probably thought back to all she had given up and done, including washing Jesus' very feet with her hair! Can you imagine her thoughts? Sure you can. She felt hurt because she hadn't really heard what Jesus actually said and all she saw before her was a missed opportunity for Jesus to have prevented her brother's dying.
When our will doesn't line up with God's will the result is misunderstanding on our part because every message that God sends to us gets garbled through the filter of our own personal agenda and desire. Instead of trusting God at His Word, which by the way is always meant for our betterment, edification and for His glory, we settle for the misinterpretation. God's Word speaks plainly and clearly. So as the story goes, Mary finally goes out to meet Jesus. She is visibly upset and says to Jesus that if He had only come earlier, Lazarus would not have died. Now, her statement is true, but be that as it may, and in spite of the anguish that she suffered, Jesus knew there was a greater good and purpose. So He did next, what He stated He would do in order to yield the results that He stated would come to pass in God's plan.
What's the lesson? Hear God's Word and then listen to it. God has plans for you. He has plans for your life and for your future. You don't have to stumble through this year blindly trying to figure out what God is doing in you or through you. You don't have to struggle trying to comprehend why you are experiencing the issues, trials or tribulations that you are dealing with. Because the Word of God is plain on its face. He has told you that if He is for you He is more than the world against you. No one can pluck you out of His hand. He will never leave you nor forsake you. All things work together for your good. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. You are peculiar. You are sanctified for His use. His Words are clear! Did you hear them? Are you listening to them without filtering them for your own interpretation? If you want to make a New Year's resolution that you can keep, vow to be a sheep that hears and knows the voice of God. Vow to take Him at His Word. Vow to apply the logos to your life and to stand still and see the salvation the Lord. Make it up in your mind not to fall out and be hurt when tragic situations and circumstances come your way because it's for your good and for His glory!
Consider the eleventh chapter of John. It is the well read and well known story of Jesus' dear friend Lazarus. As the story goes, Jesus was informed that Lazarus was ill and it was feared that without Jesus' intervention that Lazarus would die. Upon hearing the unctioning for Him to come, Jesus stated plainly what was going to happen. Here is where my friend's statement comes to life. No one really listened to what Jesus said. Jesus was clear that Lazerus' condition was not about his dying, rather it was about showing the power of God. So folks went their way with the hope that based upon the love that Jesus had for His friend and the relationship that had been built, that Jesus would come quickly and address the matter, make Lazarus whole again and all would be right in their world once again. But this is why it is so important to listen and to accept what is actually said. It must have pained Jesus greatly to fully realize that His words were entirely mistaken and that as a result people whom He cared for greatly would wind up hurt, disappointed and frustrated. But Jesus knew the greater purpose of His work and in spite of how much it must have pained Him, he stayed away, allowed His friend to pass and for people to feel toward Him as they must. The Bible says that Martha met Jesus and advised Him that Lazarus was dead. Jesus' response was to "groan" inside Himself. Why? Because He already recognized that there had been some mis-understanding. Before He could get into the town good, folks were mad and hurt, Mary-that same Mary who had anointed Jesus' feet with oil and washed His feet with her hair, was among the most hurt. She didn't even go out with her sister to meet Jesus when her sister went be ause she was dealing with her hurt and disappointment over her own misunderstanding. The issue? She didn't listen to Jesus' words. She heard through the filter of her own desires. I imagine her mind went through what most of us go through at similar junctures of misunderstanding. She probably thought back to all she had given up and done, including washing Jesus' very feet with her hair! Can you imagine her thoughts? Sure you can. She felt hurt because she hadn't really heard what Jesus actually said and all she saw before her was a missed opportunity for Jesus to have prevented her brother's dying.
When our will doesn't line up with God's will the result is misunderstanding on our part because every message that God sends to us gets garbled through the filter of our own personal agenda and desire. Instead of trusting God at His Word, which by the way is always meant for our betterment, edification and for His glory, we settle for the misinterpretation. God's Word speaks plainly and clearly. So as the story goes, Mary finally goes out to meet Jesus. She is visibly upset and says to Jesus that if He had only come earlier, Lazarus would not have died. Now, her statement is true, but be that as it may, and in spite of the anguish that she suffered, Jesus knew there was a greater good and purpose. So He did next, what He stated He would do in order to yield the results that He stated would come to pass in God's plan.
What's the lesson? Hear God's Word and then listen to it. God has plans for you. He has plans for your life and for your future. You don't have to stumble through this year blindly trying to figure out what God is doing in you or through you. You don't have to struggle trying to comprehend why you are experiencing the issues, trials or tribulations that you are dealing with. Because the Word of God is plain on its face. He has told you that if He is for you He is more than the world against you. No one can pluck you out of His hand. He will never leave you nor forsake you. All things work together for your good. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. You are peculiar. You are sanctified for His use. His Words are clear! Did you hear them? Are you listening to them without filtering them for your own interpretation? If you want to make a New Year's resolution that you can keep, vow to be a sheep that hears and knows the voice of God. Vow to take Him at His Word. Vow to apply the logos to your life and to stand still and see the salvation the Lord. Make it up in your mind not to fall out and be hurt when tragic situations and circumstances come your way because it's for your good and for His glory!
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