Thank You for just a little courage!
“And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped.
“And Jesus said, ‘Who is the one who touched Me?’ And while they were all denying it, Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.’
When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’” Luke 8:43-48
The story of the woman who only had to courage to touch the hem of Jesus’ cloak reminds me of a scene in one of my favourite books (other than the Bible) by Hannah Hurnard, Hinds Feet on High Places. The main character, ‘Much Afraid’ is on a perilous journey to meet the Shepherd. One morning she wanders off alone from her travelling companions, ‘Suffering’ and ‘Sorrow’. The evil character, ‘Craven Fear’ finds her and threatens her.
In the meantime, Sorrow and Suffering awake to find her gone and search for her. When they find her, she is backed up at the edge of a high precipice by the evil character ‘Craven Fear’. They urge her to call out to the ‘Shepherd’, but she will not. Suffering takes a small, sharp knife from her pocket and cuts Much Afraid, who calls out for the Shepherd in pain and fear.
When he appears, as He always does when she calls, He first drives off Craven Fear and rescues her. He speaks gently to her and asked why she waited so long to call out to Him. She lowers her head and mumbles that she was afraid because she had disobeyed Him. The Shepherd raises her face to His and reminds her that He is always with her on her journey and that she must always call out when she needs help.
Every Christian is faced with the truth of their sin and unworthiness (Romans 3:10-12). Yet, once we trust Jesus, He forgives and justifies us completely. That justification means when God looks at us, He sees Jesus and therefore we stand ‘clean (just as if we had never sinned) before Him.
There is one, like Craven Fear in the world, who whispers to us the truth of our sin and that is Satan and his minions - who exist to compromise our walk and witness! We must remember to call out (I John1:8-10).
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Take care with love, especially His, from Darlene, who still prays for you each day.
PS: You can also find the devotions on line/ on your mobile phone here: www.weakdaydevotion.com .
NOTES: I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place before, of specific prophecies; and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.
The Five Solas: Individuals are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone to the glory of God alone!
Find my full statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (where you will also find a series of Bible studies). For the books, go to Amazon books. For prayer requests/ updates, email: darlenerichard@gmail.com