Reach Out: Lessons from the Woman with an issue of blood
Lessons from a Woman with an Issue of Blood
31 Days of Women from Scripture
Volume 2
Reach Out
Day Fifteen: Lessons from the Woman with an issue of blood
Matthew 9:20-22;
Mark 5:25-34;
Luke 8:43-48
Do you live with health issues that frustrate you?
Today’s woman is one I am beginning to sympathize with more and more. Living with a long, drawn-out illness is difficult to understand until you go through it yourself.
There is a woman who has her story told three times in the Gospels. Between those recounting of these events we learn four things about her.
- Her illness had been going on for 12 years
- She had suffered many things from many physicians
- She had spent all that she had
- She continued to get worse
Do you think she felt a little hopeless at times?
All of her efforts to this point have been unfruitful. Where does she see some hope?
She found hope in Jesus!
This woman listened to all the chatter going on about Jesus (Lk. 8:39-40). The next time He was in the area, she followed the crowds that followed Him.
I encourage you to take a few minutes to consider her story and what it has to teach you.
There are lessons about how faith works. Lessons about not giving up. Lessons about staying focused on your goal.
Do you have the faith to reach out to Jesus for healing?
Be like the woman with a hopeless medical condition who did not give up hope. Push through the crowd of your own doubts, fears, and pain. Reach out (Acts 17:26-28) your hand in faith to God who is but waiting for you to do something. Do something to show Him how much you value what you are seeking.
Walk away from the things that crucify His Son (Heb. 10:29). Submit yourself to His will and be buried in baptism to wash away your sins (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4; 1 Pet. 3:21). Learn the lessons grace teaches (Titus 2:11-14) and be found useful (Heb. 6:1-8).
This woman was blessed with having Jesus standing right in front of her face. Her fear of failure did not keep her back. Fear of not being worthy did not stop her. She had a need and she knew Jesus was the answer to it. She reached out and accepted what He offers to all of us – healing and becoming whole in Him (Col. 2:9-14).
The most important lesson you can learn from the woman with an issue of blood: He is waiting. He is right there (Acts 17:27) waiting. Reach out.
Enjoy!
Wonderful story of this women faith teaching us that our faith must be the same
Enjoyed the teaching. It reminds me how I must use my faith to reach for my goals because Jesus wants to help me attain it.