Sunday, August 1, 2010

Tell Jesus


I must tell Jesus
All of my trials
I cannot bear these burdens alone
In my distress
He kindly will help me
He ever cares and loves His own

We live in an age of ever-evolving technology. Twenty years ago a portable computer was cumbersome; today you can hold one in the palm of your hand. There was a commercial many years ago which said, “You’ve come a long way baby, to get where you’ve got to today.” Still, there are some things which have not advanced in a way that makes us a little more comfortable.

Have you ever dialed a number and gotten an automated voice response which indicated that someone will speak with you shortly, only the definition of shortly differs between you and them? Or you call and talk with a human voice that cannot assist you in any way? Or you’re told that the average wait time is ten minutes and just at the moment your wait time expires, your cellphone battery dies or the call mysteriously drops.Businessman frustrated with waiting on phone

Sometimes, wanting to talk with someone isn’t enough; sometimes talking is imperative.

Call Center, Image courtesy of exodon.com
All of our lines are busy. Please wait, someone will speak with you shortly.

We’ve achieved so many advances in technology, medicine and science; yet we still struggle in the art of communication.

It’s reassuring to know that with Jesus, we have no intermediary, answering machine, call forwarding, call waiting, no queue or wait time to speak with someone on the help desk. There are no layers of protocol with Jesus, no buffers, no executive assistant who runs interference for Him; it’s just Jesus and you.

Before there were cellphones, text messaging, autos, hybrids, airplanes and even mail, when a person needed to communicate with someone, they usually had to go see them!

The bible tells us of a woman with a medical condition which Luke referred to as an incurable hemorrhage. This woman was afflicted with this condition for twelve years. Time and again she sought medical help but found none. I’m certain that after twelve years she not only sought alternative remedies but no doubt tried anything that was suggested. You must understand that people were not as enlightened as we are today; there were no psychic hot lines or infomercials promising a quick and speedy remedy.

And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse.1

This woman was at the end of her rope.

Perhaps, thoughts of dying with dignity may have crossed her mind but she wasn’t ready to give up hope.

You have to be persistent when everywhere you turn folks are shaking their head in sorrow and sadness because of you. You know when things get really bad; folks may not even want to be around you. You’re viewed as if you’re one of those discarded sponge mops in favor of a high-tech Swiffer.

…after hearing about Jesus…2

This woman who understood how hopeless her situation was, heard about Jesus and the miracles of healing he performed for the sick, tormented and dead. She didn’t know Jesus, she couldn’t be certain that He would even see her with so many others crying for His help and attention. Everywhere He went, there were throngs of people crowded around Him.

How would she ever get an opportunity to stand before Him and ask for His help?

But she desperately needed His help and then she got a thought that excited her,

“For she thought, ‘If I just touch His garments, I shall get well.’”3

It was this thought, birthing in her mind that inspired her to make her way through the crowd of people and receive her healing.

Have you ever seen someone muttering words to themself? Perhaps you’ve even done it!

I know I’ve done it before. Asking myself, Where did I leave those keys?

I wasn't there, but I imagine that what started as a thought in this woman’s mind became an expression of words as she made her way closer and closer to Jesus. If I can just touch….I only want to touch His garment….If He is who they say He is, then He has the power to save me, heal me without me saying a word…If I can just touch.

Woman touches Jesus, Courtesy of christianodyssey.com

“…for she was saying to herself, ‘If I only touch His garment, I shall get well.’”4

We all know when we don’t look or feel our best; it affects our self-esteem. Maybe this woman was ashamed of her appearance, I don’t know. After twelve long years of searching for a cure, she had no money; she had gone "all in" searching for a cure and lost. Perhaps her appearance made others feel uncomfortable. Perhaps she covered her face in shame. Perhaps to be less noticeable, she crawled on her hands and knees as she neared closer and closer toward Jesus.

The bible says she came up behind Jesus when she extended her hand forward and touched His garment:

…came up behind Him, and touched the fringe of His cloak; and immediately her hemorrhage stopped.5

I believe that in order to touch the fringe of His cloak, she had to be parallel with the ground. This woman humbled herself to the point of believing that she could be healed just by touching the fringe of the cloak Jesus wore. It was then that Jesus called out for the person of faith who touched Him.

But Jesus said,Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.’”6

Some of us think that when we receive a blessing, we can go back and quietly live our lives being unnoticed. I believe that’s what this woman thought. That she wouldn’t need to tell Jesus that she believed and was healed. Somehow, she must have understood that if she could be healed by just touching the fringe of the cloak Jesus wore; then He was more than just a man.

I believe she understood that if Jesus recognized that power had gone out from Him, then He also must know where that power went and who benefited from it.

He must be the Son of God!


And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.7

We go through the daily routines of life and somehow we miss out on the opportunity God gives us. We won’t humbly extend ourselves and touch Jesus. For whatever reason we feel unworthy, useless and unwanted but still, we crave to be healed, saved and changed.

We want it, need it but is the desire urgent enough for you to go receive it? Have you ever experienced the power of Jesus Christ? What happened when His power went out from Him and into you? I don't know about you but I had to confess that He saved me from a life of drugs and violence; I couldn't keep it to myself. When people remark, There's something different about you...I have to tell them about Jesus and His miraculous power to resurrect my dead life; giving me eternal hope.

Will you declare the reason why you’ve come to Jesus? You've tried so many other ways, with no answer or resolution. It may seem as if it's time to give up but you cling to that same desperate hope for relief from your burden. Jesus isn’t standing in a crowd today. No matter where you are right now, He’s there with you; waiting to hear what you have to say.

Tell Jesus…about the problem in your life

Tell Jesus…about your family

Tell Jesus…about your children

Tell Jesus…about your spouse

Tell Jesus…about your father

Tell Jesus…about your mother

Tell Jesus…about your sister

Tell Jesus…about your brother

Tell Jesus…about your neighbor

Tell Jesus…about your job

Tell Jesus…about your health

Tell Jesus…about you

Tell Jesus and be like that woman; have the faith to believe that Jesus will resurrect life into whatever it is in your life that appears hopelessly dead.

Lord Jesus, I humbly bow myself before you. I recognize that you are God, Lord and Savior of my life. I need you Lord and I cry out with every part of me and ask you to take my life and clean up the tattered remains of a wounded spirit. I will not remain silent Lord Jesus. I will declare that you are Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord Jesus. I exalt and praise your name.

Footnotes:
  1. Mark 5:25-26, NASB
  2. Mark 5:27, NASB
  3. Mark 5:28, NASB
  4. Matthew 9:21, NASB
  5. Luke 8:44, NASB
  6. Luke 8:46, NASB
  7. Luke 8:47, NASB
References:
  1. The Ryrie Study Bible (New American Standard Version), Edited by Charles C. Ryrie, Moody Publishers, Chicago, Illinois, ISBN 0-8024-8920-6
  2. I Must Tell Jesus, Song sung by Crystal Lewis
  3. Image of frustrated businessman waiting on telephone, Courtesy of shutterstock.com
  4. Image of Call Center, Courtesy of exodon.com
  5. Image of Woman touching Jesus from christianodyssey.com


11 comments:

Merana Leigh said...

Great post! I read somewhere that we should "Go to the throne before you go to the phone" with our troubles. Seems appropriate! Of course, the times God WANTS me to come to Him first & I call my best friend first...hmmm, she's not answering her phone? Ok, Lord...here I come! Humbly!!!!

Side note...I have always felt SO badly for this poor woman in Scripture. Just knowing what I go through each month & imagining that I NEVER get a break from it & it's there for TWELVE years straight! AGH! Actually, I'm reminded of John 9:3 when Jesus said "this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" about who sinned, this man or his parents, that the man was born blind. So too here with this woman...so that the power of God could be revealed by her simply touching the hem of his garment. AND, it shows us what HOPE she placed in Jesus that she must have been weak, yet endured the throng of people & thrust herself at the last possible moment as Jesus walked by to his feet to simply touch the hem of his garment. (It's obvious that he'd already passed her b/c he did not see anything, but felt it within.) POWERFUL message!

Ok, I gotta run relax in the Word with a cup of mocha-colored, hazelnut bliss before heading to worship service!

Blessings to you this day & always ~ Merana

Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

Very inspiring study. God bless, Lloyd

MTJ said...

Merana: Thanks for sharing a thoughtful and insightful comment. Anyone who can drink a cup of mud is OK in my book.

Lloyd: I appreciate the encouragement, passion and inspiration you share as a Christian brother of faith.

From The Heart Online said...

Thanks, MTJ. Another nudge to seek God - beyond emotions, beyond circumstance, beyond doubt and impossibility.

With this thought of sharing what God has done / is doing in my life ... I'd like to share a tidbit. I'm completing my first published book, set to release in October. It's basically a poetic account - a soul journey - my life before and after Jesus. The funny part is that, until I started on the marketing plan, I didn't realize that I would essentially be a travelling evangelist in a way. I'll be standing up in front of strangers, describing this book and its intent - which is to glorify God by showing what he's done. Wow. I totally didn't see that coming - the travelling evangelism part... I only imagined a handful of friends buying it, but marketing will require more of me... you're right - we're obligated to share what God has done ... who knows how he'll use it or what he'll require of us?

Interesting. :)

Thanks, btw - for your comments at my place!

Kim

Nikki (Sarah) said...

great post. there's nothing as good as talking things out with HIm. I always feel like even though I don't know the answers...it's being taken care...thanks for this MTJ

Glory to God said...

MTJ -

It is wonderful to know that Jesus is omnipresent and is everywhere all the time. We CAN know that when we call upon Him, He is there. That is such an amazing promise.

I remember reading about this woman with the hemorrhage some years ago after being saved in wondering incredulously if having that for twelve years was even possible.

Praise God that her faith turned out to be such a great example for us today.

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

God bless!

MTJ said...

Kim: Congratulations on getting your book published! You're the second writer/blogger I've met to announce a book publication (Sarah at Writing also announced a book publication).

I haven't published anything at this point but I continue to write because it's my passion.

I'm glad to have made my way to your blog; I'm encouraged because you write from the heart. I pray that you are able to reach many through your writing, speaking and book publication.

Sarah: Thank you for allowing the Lord to encourage others through your life.

Dean: I believe what this says to me is that I should never give up hope for a resolution (from God) to my circumstances. If this woman had given up hope at any point during those twelve years, she would never have touched the hem of Jesus's cloak and received her healing. I believe God sent Jesus to save, heal and bless our lives.

Duane Scott said...

Reading this post makes me realize I could be doing better with communicating with my Lord and Savior. Thanks!

MTJ said...

Duane: You're not alone in that, my prayer is that each day I practice my communication with the Lord and others; the hope is that I'm hearing as well as when I speak.

From The Heart Online said...

Thank you so much, MTJ. I deeply appreciate your prayer. God is amazing.

Keep writing! Your words encourage, uplift and glorify too!

Kim

MTJ said...

Kim: Thanks for being an encourager. You help point the way to Christ and salvation.