As we approach the New Year, let us do so with an attitude of expectation of blessings. Over the past years, we have experienced many challenges to our faith in the form of rejection, pain, loss, and other hurts. We have stood by and watched the prayers of other people being answered, while we are still waiting in line. We have watched people who have hurt us moving forward in their lives. This watching and waiting can take a toll on our spiritual lives and relationship with God, but there is good news for you in this year of 2013: It is your turn to be blessed.
In Luke 8:40-58, there is a familiar story about a woman with an issue of blood. She had bled for 12 years. Although she sought medical treatment for her bleeding, the doctors could not help her. In fact, she ran out of money trying to resolve her physical ailment through medical procedures. Most of us could not imagine bleeding, for whatever reason for 12 years. This woman probably suffered from anemia. Any of us who have been anemic know how tired and week the loss of blood can make someone.
We may not have experienced an issue of physical bleeding for 12 years, but some of us have been dealing with other issues for a very long time.
These issues may include financial challenges, feelings of loneliness and depression, a wayward child, or some other hurt that has resulted in a spiritual bleeding. Like any other type of bleeding, this spiritual loss of blood, has left us week, tired, and without the necessary energy to do the things we need to do.
This may describe many of us coming into this New Year, this new season. We must look to the faith of the bleeding woman, wounded physically, spiritually, and financially. She believed touching Jesus’ garment would solve her problem, and it did.
According to the scripture, “immediately her bleeding stopped.” This is prophetic for all of us for 2013. This year the bleeding will stop. Jesus is going to find the source of our hemorrhaging. He will bring healing and wholeness to our lives. It’s our turn to be blessed.
For us to participate in this promise, we must reach out and touch the hem of his garment. Before she could get to Jesus, she had to decide whether she really wanted to be healed—she had a crowd blocking her from Jesus. She also had Levitical codes telling her that she was in no condition to touch Jesus. However, she reached beyond all of these barriers, and touched the hem of his garment.
Regardless of what we have to press through this year, we must not give up on our blessing, our healing, or our deliverance. We can no longer allow people or our personal hang-ups or feelings of unworthiness to keep us from touching the hem of Jesus’ garment.
Blessed 2013! It’s your turn to be blessed!
