Editors note: This devotional is taken from the archives of Gospel of Mark, chapter 5.

Quiet Times (Psalm  24, Proverbs 24, and Mark 5:24b-29)

“A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (Mark 5:24b-29, NIV)

Observations:

I asked myself what we can learn about the woman.

Interpretation:

I asked myself why the woman wanted to touch Jesus secretly.

The disease she had would have made her unclean according to Jewish Law. This meant no one was supposed to touch her because whoever touched her would have become unclean. So, she must have figured that Jesus would not lay His hands on her to heal her because that would be touching her. She also knew He was a Rabbi and would be versed in the law.

"'When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period. Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period. Whoever touches them will be unclean; he must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.” (Leviticus 15:25-27, NIV)

But, she was desperate and wanted the bleeding to stop which was occurring for 12 years. All the doctors she went to made her spend all she had but she was getting worse and not better. She heard about Jesus and the miracles Jesus had done. She figured she could touch the cloak of Jesus and receive her healing without His permission. Interestingly, there was a cause-effect relationship that occurred.

I asked myself what the cause-effect relationship was.

Because she believed and touched Jesus’ clothes she was healed immediately as the bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

I asked myself why that is significant.

Even though she did it secretly wanting to get her healing without making her situation public, healing power went through Jesus into her life to heal her.

Implications:

I saw important implications for my own life. The woman received healing from her uncleanness because of her faith and belief in Jesus. She believed that Jesus could heal her even though her perception was if Jesus knew how unclean she was, Jesus would not have anything to do with her. How wrong she was because Jesus did heal her.

What I learned is that Jesus can heal whatever situation I am in too regardless of my misconceptions.

I ask you now dear friend where do you feel unclean?

Dear friend, the woman who was bleeding for 12 years definitely felt unclean and knew no Jewish leader would deliberately come to her rescue. She was desperate and figured she has nothing else to lose so in secret she touched Jesus believing His healing power could make her clean again, specifically heal her. Jesus did heal her.

You may feel what you have done or where you have been makes you so unclean. You may feel that no one wants to associate with you anymore so you do not even ask for help anymore but maybe desiring help deep inside. You know what though, no matter where you feel unclean, you can come to Jesus and receive your healing and be made clean. Yes, you can friend! You can be made clean for Jesus will clean you and make you new. Jesus healed the women suffering for 12 years. Whatever you are suffering, there is hope in Jesus friend. You are never out of His love and never out of His reach. You do not have to think that you are so unclean that Jesus would not bother with you because Jesus wants to bother with you in a loving wonderful way.

Friend, you were the reason Jesus gave His life. You were the reason He suffered and died. For the world that was lost, He gave all He could give. You can find a reason for coming to Jesus no matter how unclean your life has become. Yes, you can because of Jesus, my friend!

Name all the reasons before the Lord why you feel unclean and let Him clean you. Receive His cleaning in your life. He will clean you with His precious cleansing blood! That is so exciting friend! It is, for one drop of blood can heal you where you are. Do not let the enemy make you feel like there is no hope left, for there is hope. The woman hoped in the Lord and so can you so you do not have to be trapped by Satan.

Satan will let you know all your mistakes and tell you there is no escape. Satan will show all your failures and come like a flood but he can be defeated by one drop of blood. I am talking about the Blood of Jesus Christ which will cover over you.

May you come to know the love of Jesus in your life friend and believe! Amen!

“Unclean Now? Christ’s Leading Everyday Always Nurtures!” (U.N.C.L.E.A.N)/”Where do you feel unclean?”

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you so much for healing the woman who was bleeding for twelve years even though she wanted to receive her healing in secret without asking you for it. You still healed her through her fears. Thank you Jesus! Thank you for knowing everything about us and where we feel unclean. You Oh Lord are so loving towards us! When you were on your way to see Jairus daughter, you let your healing flow in the woman’s life! Thank you Jesus! If you in your busyness cared for the woman, I know you will care for us too. Thank you so much Jesus. You know where we have been and thank you for rescuing us and bringing us into your Kingdom. Oh Lord, thank you we are the reason that you gave your life. We are the reason that you suffered and died. For the world that was lost, you gave all you could give and showed us a reason to live. Thank you so much Jesus. We give our life to thee and ask thee to take care of us. Thank you that you will. Thank you we can belong to you. Thank you for hearing our prayer and answering us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Pray this prayer if you want to come to Jesus Christ and let Him work in your life. This is a similar to the prayer the person at church prayed.

Dear Jesus, I do not know everything about you. I still have a lot of questions but I heard how you heal people. I need your spiritual healing and need  you to transplant yourself into my life. I am so sorry for my sin. My sin has separated me from you. There is nothing I can do on my own to earn your forgiveness but you give it to me in your grace. Thank you so much Jesus. I now come and say, I am so sorry for my all sin. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. Help me please Jesus and transform my life in your timing. Please forgive me of my sin and cleanse me with your cleansing blood. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Thank you so much Jesus. Please come into my heart Jesus and make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home! Thank you Jesus for living in me and helping me to live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life! Thank you for your forgiveness and grace. I gotta tell somebody what you did for me Jesus. Before I even do that, I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus for being my Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayer and answered me! Thank you Jesus that I am yours! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Friend you may feel something or may not feeling anything but do not go by your feelings. When you ask Jesus to come into your life, He will and does. He will take over from here as you depend on the Lord and let Him work in you and through you! This is exciting friend! May each one that came to know Jesus be filled with His Holy Spirit forever more and those that know Jesus come to know Him more and more! Amen!

Get yourself involved in a campus Bible study, fellowship, and most of all find a Bible believing church and be involved to grow in your Christian walk with the Lord. They all need to be supplements for your own precious time with the Lord in prayer and meditating on His Word. If you need a Bible, please let me know!

As the movie DaVinci Code opens across the theaters this May 19, 2006, which speaks against the church and most importantly degrades the Name of Jesus Christ, we need to make ourselves available to speak the truth to the falsity presented in the movie and the novel. If you plan to watch the movie or have read the book and have questions or your faith seems to be shaken, please email me or give me a call at 412-720-4579 so we can discuss the false claims in the book that are presented as fact even though the book itself and the movie is presented as fiction. May the Lord bless you and guide you!

If you need anyone to talk to, pray with, or study the Bible with this Spring or Summer of 2006, you can email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com or call me at 412-720-4579. Please do not hesitate. One-one Bible studies can be so powerful to because the Holy Spirit is still in the midst.

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

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