I love it when God shows up. Not that He isn't everywhere around us, but sometimes His Presence is so much greater - or is felt so much greater. I love those times.
Yesterday I spoke at a RV park where we speak at on occasion. The message was on "Healing for the Hidden Hurts". I talked about how we have our hidden hurts, thinking no one cares - especially God - about those 'little things' that bother us. How we don't talk about our diseases, our sicknesses, our pain - because we think no one cares.
When someone asks us 'how are you doing?' we don't even pause but answer 'fine'. And we aren't 'fine'. Our heart is hurting over a breakup, or there are financial difficulties, or we are sick with a disease, or even just a cold - but we think they don't really care, so we just say 'fine'. And we lie. And we think they don't care, and we don't really care how they are either, but we ask, 'and how are you?' and they reply 'I'm great'. And they lie.
Yesterday I stirred the pot. This is an older group of people, well rounded in their denomination. I gave this message and I shared how we don't share what is going on, and keep our hurts hidden.
In Mark 5:21-34 we read the story of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years. No one (except her doctors0 probably knew about it - and the doctors had made her do one treatment after another and took all her money.
Yet she thought to herself, 'If I could just touch Jesus, I will be healed'. In those times whenever a person with any issue or disease got within 10 feet of another person, they were to hold up their hands and yell 'unclean' - yet, she didn't this time. She snuck into the crowd, and made her way to get close to Jesus. And she touched Him. Then hoped she could fade back into the crowd.
Jesus turned and asked 'who touched me?' - and His disciples probably looked at Him at this question... and they asked 'what do you mean who touched you? Everyone is touching you!'. But Jesus knew healing power had gone out from Him.
And the woman came and knelt before Jesus and told Him everything. And Jesus said, 'Your faith has made you well'.
That doesn't mean that people don't get healed because they don't have enough faith. That's a whole nother topic that I am not qualified to discuss.
But this woman took a chance on disappointment, risked getting found out and being embarrassed, and touched Jesus. And she was healed.
When was the last time you reached out to touch Jesus? When was the last time you cried out to Him for healing, for deliverance, for hope? Why not today?
The woman got close to Jesus, and reached out to touch the hem of His cloak, and was healed. You can be too. Do you want to get well?
After the service I brought out a bottle of oil and asked anyone who wanted to be annointed and prayed for to come forward - there were about 20-25 people that came forward. It was amazing what God did in these people. I don't know if anyone was specifically healed of disease, but many shared this had never been done in that church, they were glad I was bold enough to do it, and they were going to let it make a difference.
God showed up. That's all I asked for. And He answered.
Blessings!
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