Twelve years is a long time…especially when you’re sick and waiting to get well. In Matthew 9 we read of a woman who “had been subject to bleeding for twelve years” (v. 20). It’s easy to give up when year after year you struggle with the same issue. But then she heard that Jesus was nearby! Faith was born in her heart. What she imagined through faith overcame her depression and inaction. “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed” (v. 21). Without attracting attention to herself, she quietly approached Jesus, reached out and touched His garment. And then it happened! Power went out from the Lord and healed her. Jesus stopped, turned to her and spoke life into her spirit and body. He said, “Take heart, daughter… your faith has healed you” (v. 22). The first need Jesus addressed was inside her heart. In that day an issue of bleeding labeled this woman as “unclean” and kept her isolated from the fellowship of others. When Jesus called her “daughter,” He broke through her despair of loneliness and revealed her true identity with God…as a member of the family! Then, He proclaimed the answer to her prayer and attributed her bodily healing to her faith. This is what we need to remember: Faith is God’s gift to us. Through faith, we can imagine a future different from the present circumstances. Such faith then reaches out to the Lord and receives what He graciously gives. Be careful about some preachers today who teach faith as a type of “grocery list” we give to God (just name your desire and God is somehow obligated to come through).  However, true faith, as revealed in the Bible, is based on the Lord helping us to persevere in the vision He has deposited in our heart. His grace enables us to believe that He is able to accomplish His will over our lives. Never stop trusting God! Continue to reach out to Him for the miracle you need—even if you have been waiting for a long time. He is faithful…take heart!

Pastor Mark Boucher