There are basically three things we can pick up from this miracle:
1) SHE WAS AN UNUSUAL WOMAN WITH EXCEPTIONAL DETERMINATION
She said ‘I am not going to allow anybody to conclude my situation. Surely the God who made me has placed a value, a meaning and a purpose in my life! It’s not that simple for me to give up!’
She was seeking desperately for an alternative solution to her problem.
She carried violent faith in her, so to speak:
“For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” ( Matt 9:21)
You know what? At the end of the day, it’s not what others say that is going to determine your destiny. It’s what you say or think within yourself that will bring about a breakthrough in your life. No one can control your thoughts. You are the gatekeeper of your thoughts!
As a man thinketh in his heart so is he (Prov.23:7)
Have you ever realized that the world will give you a lot of clever ideas to go about solving your problems without God in the picture?
Proverbs 14:12 : There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
The secret is to get into agreement with God’s word and His promises and apply it in your life. Anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). That’s what faith is! That’s what trust is! Your willingness to walk in alignment with God’s word creates a ceiling above which your faith can’t rise. This woman with the issue of blood had a faith that was “mountain moving.”
2) SHE WAS COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO MOVE FORWARD
Don’t ever keep saying, “I am waiting for God to move”. God is saying to you today, unless you take the bold step of faith and make that move first I can’t move my arm to fight the battle for you. You know what? You will never be able to cross the river, if all you do is simply keeping staring at the water.
How did she react with her new found faith in Jesus? It was no simple task to get near to Jesus. It was a serious business. Not forgetting the fact on the one hand that it was “a man’s world” that she was living in. Meanwhile, Jesus was on the way to the home of Jarius to heal his daughter who was very sick with a crowd of five thousand thronging Him.
Instead of creating a pity party environment and waiting for someone to come and assist her, which I guess most of the people of our day would have done, she took control of her situation. This is something that was her exceptional quality of character to be admired. Despite realizing the danger surrounding the culture of the day that if she was identified amongst the crowd she could be seriously punished even to death.
The woman with the issue of blood was neither discouraged nor fearful by what she was seeing. She moved forward and desperately infiltrated into the crowd and managed to touch the hem of His garment. She touched Him with faith but the question is what kind of faith was that? Indeed her faith must have been so lethal and dynamic that she was literally able to draw the power from God to meet her need.
The amazing thing about this woman is that despite being a social outcast in the community, she carried in her a faith that was extraordinary and violent. This indeed is awesome. I am sure with a crowd of five thousand, many would have been very close and touching the garment of Jesus. But the difference is that none of them amongst the five thousand had “such extraordinary faith” except this woman who could breakthrough for healing.
3) SHE WAS ABIDING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Mark 5:39: She felt in her body she was healed. Not many people can sense this tangible anointing unless there was a powerful presence of the Holy Spirit moving at that moment. In her case the Bible says she could sense that she was healed and made whole immediately.
We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 1 John 3:24
Here is something we need to understand. God can only meet you at the level of your expectancy. And this woman was in absolute expectation for a miracle in her life.
Ps 145:15-16 NKJV
The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The second thing you would notice is the way Jesus reacted. Every time Jesus went about to heal the sick and the lame or raise the dead the presence of God was with Him to perform a miracle.
Jesus was immediately aware that someone drew from Him His tangible anointing; His power..
He asked, “Who touched my robe?“
“Lord, look at the multitude.”
“The whole multitude is pressing against you!”
“You see what is happening–so why ask, ‘Who touched me?'”
However, the trembling, scared woman acknowledged what she did.
Despite foreseeing the seriousness of the circumstances, she moved forward to acknowledge she indeed touched Jesus.
Faith is not the absence of fear. Faith is not the absence of risk. Faith is despite the fears, despite the risk, you are willing to move forward, have the boldness to walk over to the other side.
Jesus commended this woman for her Faith because she placed a demand on her healing.
In fear, she fell in front of Jesus and told him the entire truth
Jesus’ response must have amazed her!
“Your faith has healed you–your faith allowed this to happen.”
“Go in peace”–what comforting words!
What is God telling you today?
The Lord’s power will not benefit a person unless the person comes with confidence that God indeed is all-powerful and that He is able beyond the natural to do all things. We walk by faith not by sight (2 Cor 5:7)
There was an incredible difference in touching Jesus with “mountain-moving faith” and just touching Jesus with “lukewarm faith.” How many of you are facing a challenge in your life today? Can I ask you where the level of your faith is? You know what?
Many people touched Jesus that day; many were touching Jesus when the miracle occurred.
However, they did not do it with expectancy for anything to happen. Their faith was passive!
But this woman’s spiritual temperature was totally different, she wanted to be helped. She came with extraordinary expectancy to be helped.
And apparently she found help that day. This indeed is awesome which teaches us that when our level of faith is violent, it’s going to draw the power of God in your desperate situation.
You notice the physical act of touching Jesus was the same for everyone amongst the five thousand people. It is undeniable that power was present in Jesus when all touched Him.
The difference in the outcome was the difference in the people. This woman transformed the atmosphere and walked into her healing.
Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is a mission minded pastor who carries an apostolic anointing who preaches and teaches an uncompromising gospel with boldness. A member of ECCM (Malaysia) Spiritual Adviser & overseer to various ministries and churches. An itinerant speaker. He is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’ Currently he worships at C3 Subang.
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– Rev Dr Jai Kumar
I want to have a mountain-moving faith like this woman, but I’m weak in faith. I easily get scared and discouraged. I keep asking God for help, for His healing power, but I’m a miserable wreck of a person. Will He ever help me and answer my cries?