Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
August 16, 2021
Read Mark 5:21-34
21 Jesus crossed the lake again, and on the other side a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders, came forward. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded with him, “My daughter is about to die. Please, come and place your hands on her so that she can be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. A swarm of people were following Jesus, crowding in on him. 25 A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a lot under the care of many doctors, and had spent everything she had without getting any better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 Because she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. 28 She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, I’ll be healed. 29 Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed. 30 At that very moment, Jesus recognized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 His disciples said to him, “Don’t you see the crowd pressing against you? Yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But Jesus looked around carefully to see who had done it. 33 The woman, full of fear and trembling, came forward. Knowing what had happened to her, she fell down in front of Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34 He responded, “Daughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace, healed from your disease.”
Good Morning! God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son! Hallelujah!
When we lose a loved one, there are many milestones that we must endure: birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries. For most of these dates, we have no control. We don’t choose the day of our birth or the dates of holidays. However, the day you get married is a special date that you and your partner choose, and this date becomes your own special holiday. On August 16, 1977, I married the love of my life and we were blessed with almost 43 years of marriage. We experienced an amazing life together as we walked together on our journey of faith. We celebrated the happy times and we supported each other when we struggled. At our wedding, we sang to each other “One Hand, One Heart” from the musical West Side Story. We were two young kids in love and I don’t think either of us appreciated the closing lyrics . . . even death won’t part us now. Here today, I miss our hugs, but I am comforted by our eternal bond and I joyfully anticipate the day we will be reunited in heaven. Meanwhile, I will continue to serve my Lord with joy and gratitude in response to my unending blessings.
This passage in Mark shows us the depth of our relationship with our Lord. Jesus isn’t just someone that walked the earth and healed people. Jesus is within each of us through the Holy Spirit, and he is there whenever we need to reach out. One of the biggest challenges of the pandemic has been the lack of physical touch: hugs, high fives, and even handshakes. As living beings, we long to be touched. The women in this passage simply reached out and touched the robe of Jesus and through her faith she was healed.
Immediately Jesus felt the connection between them and asked who had touched him. Think about when you walk through a crowd and brush against other people. Now imagine having a connection with another person as a result of this touch. I envision that this touch between the woman and Jesus to be similar to Mary being called by name and suddenly recognizing her Lord: a connection.
When we reach out and touch Jesus, we are giving ourselves to Him and he gives a part of himself to us in return. Reach out and touch someone in need so that the Lord’s light will shine through you.
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. It’s amazing that a simple thing like a touch can make the difference in our lives. May we share this touch of love with the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: No matter how I reach out, God is ready to support me.
Share the light! Pastor Liz
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