Luke 8
Last semester, I really fell in love with this woman’s story. Every time I read it it becomes more & more beautiful, intentional, & relatable.
She had struggled with her bleeding issue for 12 years. This number is important for two reasons: 1. It shows that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve struggled, Jesus offers healing & freedom that is instant, & 2. The number 12 in scripture is used to represent the whole kingdom of God. It mirrors the 12 tribes of Israel (which Judaism was born from) & the 12 Disciples (which were sent to preach the Gospel to the gentiles), so in other words, it encompasses all Jews & all gentiles, the whole world. So, no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve struggled with or for how long, Jesus can heal it.
I saw something today when I was reading that jumped out at me: Luke 8:46 “But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.”’ Deliberately. See the woman did not release the power of God from accidentally or unintentionally encountering Jesus. She did not release power by simply attending a church service unexpectant or by letting someone tell her about Jesus instead of her searching for him herself. No, the woman released the power of God by deliberately touching Jesus. She went after him with everything inside of her & reached out for him as if it was the only thing worth doing. I want to live like that.
Maybe you have something in your life that needs the power of God. Maybe you feel like you’ve been striving for so long that you don’t have it in you to reach out very far. Well, here’s another beautiful part of her story: she only had the strength to reach the hem of His robe. God does not have unrealistic expectations for us. Jesus came to earth & lived among us so that He could sympathize with you about how hard it really is. But if you can just touch the hem of His robe … See, God’s power is not reliant on our strength or ability, it just requires a deliberate reach towards the King.
Here’s what you can expect once the power is released. The woman received healing instantly. She already received what she was hoping for, but Jesus wouldn’t let her go unnoticed. He sought her out because she came searching for a physical healing, but Jesus had something else to give her: identity.
No one understood why He would search through a sea of people for someone who touched him, but He would go to any length to look into her eyes & say, “Daughter” (Luke 8:48).
For 12 years she had been “bleeding woman,” but now, she was daughter of the King. I’m not sure what you may believe about who you are, but woman of God, you are a daughter of the King.
Imagine the power from Heaven we could release when we become deliberate in our pursuit of Him, embracing who we truly are.
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