How Much Faith Do We Have?

For the past few days I have been pondering about faith in God, and how much faith do I really place in God.  How much faith do I have that God will hear me?  Then I started wondering about examples of faith in the Bible and I found a perfect example in Mark
.

I love Mark 5:25-34!

(25) A woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years (26) had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. (27) Having heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His robe. (28) For she said, “If I can just touch His robes, I’ll be made well!” (29) Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was cured of her affliction.
(30) At once Jesus realized in Himself that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My robes?”
(31) His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing against You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
(32) So He was looking around to see who had done this. (33) Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came with fear and trembling, fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth. (34) “Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your affliction.”

Here we have a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years hears of Jesus and tracks him down. Why…? She believes He can heal her.

Now, I don't know about you, but this is a BIG deal. Her faith is phenomenal. Why? She had most likely been to doctor after doctor, who were all too happy to take her money - even though NONE had healed her.  Now she has found herself probably broke and still as sick as ever, and without hope.

…but... she believed Jesus could heal her…So what does she do?

Keep in mind; she was not supposed to be in public, because she was considered unclean by law. She had been cut off from society and religious worship. Despite this she knows that she must get to Jesus and if she could get close enough to him. She tracks Jesus down on His way to a man’s home to heal someone else. She doesn’t need much…just to touch His clothes. This - in itself - is quite a quest, for there are people pressing in on him from all sides. An image of a “holy mosh pit” comes to mind. Sounds funny…but so true. He is being mobbed as He attempts to make His way to the man’s home. In her faith she somehow manages to reach through the throngs of people pushing and trying to get to Jesus…and…the split second her hand touches Jesus’ robe…“Who touched me?” Jesus had turned around and looked, knowing that the virtue had gone out of him.  His disciples were like, “What?!? Who touched you? Whoa, wait a second Jesus! You are in the middle of a mosh pit! We are ALL touching you! I am! He is… She is…He is…!! One guy just crowd surfed over our heads! I’m pretty sure a whole buncha people just touched you!”

…but the woman heard Jesus, and in fear knowing what had been done in her…she knew Jesus was asking about her. How she probably wondered? The moment she touched His clothes…her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body the that  healing was complete and real, she was whole again.  As she approached the Almighty, she fell down before Jesus and told Him it was her.  Jesus said, “Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your affliction.”

What a tremendous accounting of faith. I pray for the level of faith that woman had that day.

Tonight…as you kneel down next to your bed to say your prayers…take a moment to reflect on the FACT that on your street, in your town, in this country…in this world…SO many people are praying at the same time you are. Imagine 10 people talking to you at once. Now…imagine how overwhelming a million or more would be.

All of these voices…all of these praises, concerns, worries, requests…all pressing in on God.

Then you pray.

What about that woman who touched Jesus? An entire crowd was pressing in on Him. Therefore…I submit to you…it wasn’t her hand…it was her FAITH!!!!!

Then…you…pray.  God stops. Who touched me? You look up from your bedroom. “God? It was me.”  Your Father smiles. “My child. thy faith has made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”

We need to remember to have faith like that of a child in our Heavenly Father!!! We need to step out boldly in faith in each area of our lives, and trust wholly in the Lord, for He will be right there with us through it all. I know I am going to strive to do so more so each day!!!