Great Physician

Wasn't feeling great this weekend, had the flu, but was thinking about this story a lot.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleedingfor twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Luke 8:42-48

I love this story.  I have always found it amazing and convicting.

There are two parts to this story that really get me.
1) Jesus is amazing. God has given him so much power that even his clothing is covered in it.
2) This woman has so much faith. She believes that just touching his clothes will heal her.

Bleeding meant that she was unclean.  She would have lived her life in shame and avoidance of people.  It said that she was sick for twelve years and no one could heal her.  In other chapters it says that she had spent all she had on doctors.  So before reaching out to touch the cloak of this strange man that was shaking things up in the Jewish faith, she had been living her life ashamed, segregated, sick, and poor. 

She had nothing to loose. She had tried many times to be healed. She had probably been so discouraged with the whole thing, had thought many times that it would never happen, she would never be normal. 

And yet she didn't give up. She had faith that even if she just touched the threads of this amazing mans cloak she could be healed.  

I hate to admit it, but most of the time I don't walk in faith like that.   

I have prayed and asked God for healing for myself and others, but I often find myself struggling to fight off doubt.

I believe that I serve a God that is a healer. That he has the power to heal the sick and raise the dead.
He is Jehovah Rapha or God who heals, the great physician.

Please follow the link to a Great Teacher about the Names of God.

My prayer this week is that God would cast all doubt from our minds and that he would show himself to us as the great healer and physician he is.

God Bless.