Blessed Sunday to you all.

Matthew 9:21 “For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.” Imagine this poor woman: bleeding for years, treated as an outcast. And finally the healer of which she has heard so much is in her town. When Jesus entered a town His reputation preceded Him. People crowded around Him begging for healing, wishing to hear His teaching, waiting to hear Him preach and this woman was not allowed to come into town because she was considered unclean.

When someone had a disease, was blind, had leprosy, was paralyzed, had stillborn children or other condition to which there was no explanation, the consensus was that either God was angry with you or you were demon possessed. This woman who had constant bleeding was considered an outcast, but she came to town and fought her way through the crowds. There must have been so many people surrounding Jesus as He walked through the town. This woman in her weakened state somehow got close enough just to touch the hem of His garment. Reading on the passage says that Jesus stopped because some of the power had left Him and went into this woman.

Do you suppose this woman spent a great deal of time in prayer? I think she did. I also think that because of her condition she spent a lot of time alone and I think she spent a great deal of time with God. God was with her for all of those years in her thoughts, in her prayers in her times of meditation. She knew God and somehow she seemed to know that this young rabbi Jesus who had the reputation of being able to heal was coming and if she could just get close enough perhaps He could heal her, too. It was not by accident that when she reached out through the crowd of people, Jesus was there.

We do not have to reach through a crowd of people to find Jesus. We do not have to wait for Him to come to our town to preach, teach and heal. We have been given the gifts of prayer and of His Word. We have instant access to the Almighty God through Jesus all day, every day. The only crowd we must fight through is our crowded mind - our daily thoughts and plans that cause us to put our prayer time at the back of our minds.

Let’s try this. Before we open our planners, our computers or check the phones for messages, let us simply call on the name of Jesus and invite Him first thing to be the guide for our day. Let us take time to pray, take time to be alone with God. Let His endless supply of healing power fill us with wholeness and well being.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.