Frightened, hurting, in search of hope. You have tried everything you can to fix your situation but nothing has worked. In fact, you are getting worse. Tired and worn out, every resource you had has been used up. You are ashamed of your life and know that people must be judging you. You are on the brink of giving up. My friend, have you ever been in this type of situation? Let me share with you a word of hope that the Lord gave me.

I was reading in Mark chapter 5, starting in verse 24. ” Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around Him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched His robe. For she thought to herself, ” If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from Him, so He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched me?” But He kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell in front of Him and told Him what she had done. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

There are many details about this story that fascinate me. First of all, the Lord was in a crowd of people. He was being pressed in on every side. People were constantly brushing up against Him and touching Him, yet this one woman’s touch immediately caught His attention. Why? Why did her touch stand out from the crowd. Why was her touch different than all of the others? Her’s was a touch of faith. She knew she was in a desperate situation and that her only source of hope was Jesus. She knew no one else could help her and she definitely could not help herself. She had tried that avenue before and been sorely disappointed. She knew she was sick and that only the Great Physician could meet her needs. The others in the crowd may have been there out of curiosity. They may have been hanging around Jesus so they could catch a glimpse of His famous miracles. Some in the crowd may have been dragged along by members of their family, having no interest of their own, Some may have just liked being with a crowd of good people. This woman, however was there for one purpose only- to reach out to Jesus in faith. She used her last ounce of energy to extend her hand and touch the Savior. Jesus immediately took notice. He felt healing power leave His body. When He asked who touched Him, He already knew who it was. He was God. He wanted the woman to acknowledge what she had done. Frightened, she fell at His feet and, in between sobs, told Him her story. Jesus had no condemnation for this woman. In fact, He called her daughter. Can you imagine the surge of love she must have felt. Jesus, Himself, was calling her His child. He gave her not only the gift of physical healing, but also the gift of peace. He healed her soul. What a precious Savior we have.

My friend, Jesus never rejects those who reach out to Him in faith. No sin is ever too big that he cannot forgive , no hurt is ever too painful that He cannot heal, no life is ever too broken that He cannot restore. You just have to come to Him, acknowledging your desperate state. You need to admit you are sick before you can receive healing. Reach out your hand my friend; Jesus will be there to restore hope and end your suffering. Amen!