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!
G-UP! Ephesians 6:13~18
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
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