Holding on By a Thread

The story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment is one of the most inspiring and powerful stories of faith in the Bible. Luke 8:43-44, “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.”

Mark 4:25-34 further depicts the woman with the issue of the blood, "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

This woman had been suffering from an issue of blood for twelve years and had been a social outcast due to the Levitical law under the Old Testament. Leviticus 15:25, "And if a woman has an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean." She was viewed as unclean, just as a leper was unclean, and no one wanted to touch her. Yet, despite being ostracized and covered in shame, barely holding on by a thread, she made a choice! She pressed into Jesus and touched His garment, and with one touch, by the faith she had in Jesus, she was made whole!

It is amazing to consider the faith of this woman. She was risking everything to reach out to Jesus, knowing that she was unclean and could be rejected. Yet, she did not let her fear stop her from reaching out to the One who could save her. She knew that if she could just touch His garment, she would be healed. This woman's faith teaches us a powerful lesson about where we should put our trust. We often trust in our own strength and wisdom, but this woman's faith shows us the power of trusting in Jesus. No matter how desperate or desolate we feel, Jesus is always there to give us hope and healing. We can trust Him to be our Deliverer and Healer, no matter how difficult an obstacle we are facing.

Mark 5:28 says, "When she had heard of Jesus, she came in the press behind, and touched his garment." The woman pressed into Jesus, and when she touched Him, her faith encountered the Great I Am. Jesus told her that it was by her faith (in Jesus) that she was healed and to go in peace. In other words, now that your healed, stop worrying about it. Likewise, We can trust that Jesus will do what He said He will do! No matter how desperate our situation may seem, we can trust in Jesus to be our Deliverer and Healer!

She was willing to risk facing further ostracization and shame for the chance of being healed by Jesus. She was willing to risk it all! Like the woman with the issue of blood, maybe you are holding on by a thread? Are you in need of healing? Are you facing a difficult situation? Do you have faith that Jesus can heal you? Take a page from this woman’s book and seek out Jesus. Step out in faith and encounter the Great I Am! ©Rita Larson 5/17/2023

#HemOfHisGarment #OneTouch #Faith #OnWordandUpWord

Song of the Day: