Faith... The hem of His garment.

So I got to thinking lately (since I have been sick and all), this reminds me of a story.  We talked about "Faith the size of a mustard seed" in church recently... but to me the matter of "faith in the Power of Jesus" is put better in Mark 5:25-29 as well as Luke 8:43-48.  I think about this woman... she has suffered with sickness for so long and so many have looked down upon her.  She is like the "lepers".  She is an outcast and she is unclean because of her "illness".  She knows though (because of her faith) that just to touch the hem of his garment is ALL she needs to be healed.  Even a righteous man such as John the Baptist said in Mark 1:7 "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.", so when you put the righteous man of John the Baptist in comparison to this "unclean" woman, it took a LOT of faith to reach out and touch the hem of his garment.

What if we all had this faith?  Faith in our Lord to know that he CAN heal us?  This woman gives me inspiration.  I think of people who have incurable diseases, or who have only a short time to live.  Goodness, a good friend of mine's pastor (Matt Chandler) had a brain tumor... (doing better now).  I had a friend who has won two battles with cancer (Donnette)... I have a nephew  (Dallas) who is alive I believe 100% because of prayers.  Faith in healing is powerful yet temporary, but Faith in our creator and the salvation he offers will last an eternity. 

I have pasted the two verses about the bleeding woman below for your reference:

Mark 5:25-29 (New King James Version)

²⁵ Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
²⁹ Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

Luke 8:43-48 (New King James Version)

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

  
⁴³ Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, ⁴⁴ came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter and those with him^[a] said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”^[b]
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” ⁴⁷ Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
⁴⁸ And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer;^[c] your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

The Red Words are the COOLEST!!

So, I had sort of a rough day (not sure why)... and the honest to goodness truth... (don't remember all that I was upset about). Either way, I call my sister on my way home from taking a grueling history test looking for encouragement because she seems to always have something uplifting for me :) I ask her what she is doing and she said that she and Josh were looking up scriptures. Then it reminded me!!!... and all the sudden I just popped and and starting singing "the red words are the coolest, their the ones that Jesus said", and Jamie and Josh start laughing. YES! I LISTEN TO VEGGIE TALES!!! But then it got me to thinking... just how TRUE this line from the silly song album really is.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

and

Matthew 6:25-34 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble"

So... these red words stand out to me... God is telling me that no matter what "bad day" I THINK I may have had... it is nothing. His grace is sufficient, his power is almighty, and he loves me.

I know this next one doesn't fall in the "red words" category, but it was the last that spoke to me to calm the day I was having:

Romans 8:31 What, then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

That one sums it up. With God by my side... nothing else even matters.

I love you my precious Lord. Thank you for reminding me through your word that you love me too. Thank you for the saints you have sent to lift us up to you through prayer.

Until next time....
Ang