“And Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me?’” Luke 8:45 NKJV.
When your last, best option is Jesus, you are very close to a miracle.
My thoughts and comments today are about “a healing touch.”
Everyone needs others’ help sometimes. Our common pride of self-sufficiency is usually short lived. Life soon eliminates any delusion of one’s ability to always do life on their own. You were designed for community with all the mutual caring and contribution that affords. Ever needed help and either didn’t know how to ask or did not know who to ask? I’ll bet you have; I know I have. When you are at the end of your abilities and resource, you need to learn how to reach out. When you are serious about receiving help, you will be willing to lay aside your dignity to receive help. Pride and embarrassment are emotional luxuries desperate situations do not afford you.
The Bible shares an intriguing story of a woman desperate for help. Read Luke 8:43-48 NKJV. There are valuable, practical lessons you can learn from her personal sacrifice, absolute desperation, and noble courage. It is unrealistic to expect or ask others to charitably do for you what you are just unwilling to do for yourself. “There was a woman in the crowd who had a hemorrhage for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors and still could find no cure.” For twelve years she had expended every effort, until exhausting all physical and financial resources she had. Her need was no less, but her options were. When your last, best option is Jesus, you are very close to a miracle.
Being another person in the crowd with a need is not enough. Disheartened but determined, severely weakened yet pressing against a pushing crowd, she reached out and “touched the fringe of [Jesus] robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.” Jesus would do for her what neither she nor others could do. When you cannot help yourself and when every other resource has failed, reaching and touching Jesus releases the power and resources of Heaven. See Philippians 4:19 NKJV.
“And Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me?’” The disciples were incredulous. A huge, unruly crowd was pushing and jostling for Jesus’ attention and Jesus was asking them who touched Him. A better question would have been who hadn’t pushed or bumped into Jesus. Ah, but her touch was different. Her touch released the abundance of God into the barrenness of her need. “But Jesus said, ‘Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out of Me.’” In an inexplicable, miraculous moment the pain and helplessness of a dozen years were forever removed.
Her need was physical; she needed healing neither she nor others could provide. Today, your desperate need might be physical, or financial, or emotional, or psychological, or relational, or spiritual – the answer is the same for you as for this faith-filled lady. Jesus’ healing touch releases God’s ample provision into your depletion, whatever its origin, duration, extent, or complexity. With authority, the Bible says, “For we have a high priest which [can] be touched with the feeling of our infirmities . . let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 KJV. Set aside all reticence, embarrassment, or pride of person and come confidently to Jesus. Jesus will recognize your touch and respond with ample grace.
My prayer for this day is that you will not be shy to bring your need to Jesus.