The Woman with the Issue of Blood (Part II)

(Mark 5:25-29 GNB) There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years, even though she had been treated by many doctors. She had spent all her money, but instead of getting better she got worse all the time. She had heard about Jesus, so she came in the crowd behind him, saying to herself, "If I just touch his clothes, I will get well." She touched his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once; and she had the feeling inside herself that she was healed of her trouble.

Yesterday I introduced you to a woman whose menstrual cycle had been stuck in the "on" position for 12 long years. We are talking about 624 weeks, 4,380 days, and over 6 million minutes. Think about how you would feel, physically, if you had been bleeding for 60 minutes straight or maybe even a couple of hours. I have been thought that personally and I can honestly say that it is truly horrible. I am no doctor but I would assume that 6 million straight minutes of hemorrhaging would have to leave anyone physically debilitated. And then when you add the social, psychological, and financial ramifications of her condition to the situation, it's an understatement to say that this woman was in BIG trouble. In my case I needed emergency surgery to correct the problem along with many, many pints of blood. For weeks upon weeks I was extremely weak. For this woman she needed a breakthrough in a bad way.

I am sure that many of you today can identify with her; maybe not with her physical condition, but with the gravity of her overall plight. So let's learn from what she did.

She was Financially broke, physically bleeding, and psychologically bruised, but she somehow managed to muster up enough hope to believe that Jesus was answer and enough faith to declare: "If I just touch his clothes, I will get well." She did not sit back and complain about her situation. She saw an opportunity for a breakthrough and she went for it. And if her audacity to believe and her faith-filled words were not enough, she actually had the courage to DO IT! Recently I taught my life group about praying audaciously and I truly believe that is exactly what this woman was doing.


She busted through the crowd, touched Jesus' garment, and immediately the bleeding stopped - just like she said! She knew it right away. She felt in her body that she was healed from that moment. Now it could not have been the method, because multiple people from the crowd were pushing on, grabbing at, and touching Jesus. He was being touched from every angle. But this dysfunctional, disregarded, and dismissed woman with a bleeding condition touched Him like no one else.

Why? Because her touch was connected to her faith and her faith loosed God's power. Faith moves God. Jesus stopped because He felt power leave His body. He knew someone had 'tapped in.' Jesus looked around and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" The disciples were baffled by the question. They answered: "What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you're asking, 'Who touched me?' Dozens have touched you!" But Jesus went on asking and looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before Him, and gave Him the whole story. We will stop here for today.

So what does this mean to you? A few things:
1. Don't dwell on the past. It would have been very easy for this woman to wallow in pity, but she kept looking for a way out of her situation. She tried the doctors, she tried her religion, and then she tried Jesus. And that's the point, she kept on trying, she never gave up, and she kept moving forward! A 'forward-ever, backward-never' mentality goes a long way!

2. Expand your capacity to believe God. Do you truly believe? This woman did. She believed for a breakthrough when all human hope was gone and her belief opened the door to her faith. You will never get to the faith stage if you can't get past the belief stage!

3. Speak faith-filled words. The language of faith speaks its desired outcome. That's exactly what this woman did and her faith fueled the action required for her breakthrough. Nursing and rehearing the situation will never change it. Speak what you want, not what you have!

Father, I expand my capacity to believe You this morning. I remind myself that there is nothing You cannot do. I believe in a God of no-limits and I remove every artificial limit I have placed on my limitless God. I believe You can and I have the faith to believe that You will. My belief opens the door to my faith. My faith urges me to speak faith-filled words over my situation and I will start today. I will speak my desired outcome, in faith, in accordance with Your Word, being fully persuaded that You can and will manifest Your glory in my life. I am looking forward, not backward, and I am looking at my future through the lens of faith, speaking the language of faith every step of the way! In Jesus' name. Amen!