Examples Of Faith (Part 2)

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Friday March 20, 2009

Mark 5:25-29 (NIV)
25. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28. because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

This woman had "suffered a great deal" under the care of doctors, had spent all she had, yet only grew worse. She heard about Jesus, and she believed what she heard! We know this because she was prompted to ACT on what she heard!

The first clause of verse 28 is translated "she thought" in the NIV. The Greek word is "lego", and if you look it up in Strong's concordance it says: "relate (in words [usually of systematic or set discourse]); ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter."

There is little doubt that she didn't actually just THINK the words in verse 28; SHE SAID THEM! The KJV translates it more correctly:

Mark 5:28 (KJV)
For she SAID, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

She first SPOKE, then acted (by touching Jesus' cloak), then received, and then finally, told the testimony:

Mark 5:30-34 (NIV)
30. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31. "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, `Who touched me?'" 32. But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Why was Jesus so persistant in seeking out the person who touched Him? Because He knew that when she told Him all that happened, EVERYONE ELSE who was there would hear the testimony too!

Finally, notice Jesus said that it was not Him who healed the woman; it was HER FAITH in Him!

Mark 5:34 (NIV)
He (Jesus) said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

What healed the woman? Either HER FAITH healed her or Jesus lied! Yes, it was the woman's own faith in Jesus that caused the power to go out from Him and heal her! Anyone can be healed the exact same way, because Jesus is the same now as He was then:

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

That means that if any of us do the same thing the woman did, we will receive the same results she did! Remember, it was HER FAITH that healed her, not a gift of healing working through Jesus, or a special miracle just for her; it was HER FAITH! The same kind of faith we all have as believers!

What did the woman do to receive? She heard about Jesus, believed in Him, spoke out words of faith, acted on those words of faith, received her healing, then told her testimony! That will work for anyone!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your Word. Help me by faith and confession to see the supernatural move of Your Spirit in my life. Help me remember to always trust Your Word and keep my words in line with what You say even when circumstances don't seem to agree with You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen

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