So that you wouldn’t have to!  – Thursday, 27 July

 “And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,  (26)  And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, (27)  When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.  (28)  For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.  (29)  And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.”
Mark 5:25-29 KJV

         This woman in the fifth chapter of Mark was in a desperate condition. Doctors had tried to help her for twelve years and it had cost her everything she had. Sadly, nothing helped and her condition only grew worse. The medical field’s purpose is to help people, and yet even today – with all the medical discoveries and advancements – many illnesses can only be managed, not cured. The medical field is limited, but with God all things are possible.

         The Bible says that “when she heard of Jesus” she went to him, knowing she’d be healed. She knew that Jesus could help her. Jesus’ reputation must have preceded him. People must have been saying that no medical condition was a problem for Him to heal and that no one was ever denied healing. This is important: This woman never even asked Jesus for healing! She knew He was the healer, and she knew that if she just touched Him, she’d be well.  This shows that she knew Jesus wasn’t basing her healing on whether she deserved it or not. Do you feel like you don’t deserve your healing? Well, you may not deserve it, but Jesus wants you to be healed anyway! Maybe this woman knew of some adulterer who was healed of some deadly illness? Or maybe she heard the stories of Jesus just healing whoever came to Him, not asking any questions like “what sin is in your life?” or “was your grandfather practising black magic?”. Whatever she had heard, she was convinced that Jesus would not discriminate. She was so convinced that she knew if she just touched Jesus she would be healed. And the moment she touched Him, even just His clothes, she was made completely well.

         Has your doctor given you very little hope? He or she may have told you that there is no hope. But don’t lose heart, because “with men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). There is no sickness or disease that is too big for Jesus. When the scripture says that “by His stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24), there are no exclusions. The same power it takes to heal a cold can heal cancer. Sickness is sickness. Some sicknesses do have a worse effect on our bodies than others, but the answer for it is the same: Jesus paid for the healing of your allergies the same time He paid for the healing of cancer or AIDS. A brain tumour is no big problem for God. Whatever your condition, it is no problem for God. Healing has been freely offered to you by the stripes (suffering) of Jesus on your behalf.

         Keep looking to Jesus and what He has done for you. Don’t focus on your pain or your condition. Don’t meditate on your problem and speak about it. Focus on the solution, the glorious answer: by Jesus’ stripes you have been healed! He bore your sickness and disease so that you wouldn’t have to! Hallelujah!

Much love,