Touching Jesus
Debbie and I just returned from the McKee Hospital Emergency Room. We went there after my Urologist appointment and my Urologist appointment was preceded by my visit to one of the Kaiser Primary Care Doctors at 9 a.m. this morning. So this ended up being a long day of doctor and hospital visits.
I had mentioned before some of the fatigue I experienced at the end of last week and this weekend. One of the persisting symptoms has been some upper chest pain when I take a deep breathe. My primary care doctor ran a EKG and did some blood work and a UA. After comparing my EKG to some previous tests she felt that it showed enough variance to cause some concern. So we made a trip to the ER on her recommendation for some “rule out” tests and evaluation.
The good news is nothing really abnormal showed up. I am back on some medication that I took the last time I had pericarditis symptoms. My white blood count was elevated so I am waiting on the culture results to see what they reveal. Thank you for your prayers. I would like to avert another infection.
(Above is a picture of me and Spencer Swalm one of my weekend guests)
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.” Mark 6:56
In a day when doctors and medicine as we know it today was nonexistent and the physical needs of people were great, it is easy to see why people thronged Jesus in hope of being healed.
We are familiar with the person in the Bible only known as the “woman with the issue of blood.” Mark 5 records how the woman (whom the doctors had given up on) believed that if she could even touch the hem of his garments she would be healed. (Many believe that this could have been one of the tassels on Jesus’ prayer shawl that was thrown over his shoulder.)
When the woman in faith touched Jesus, she was healed and Jesus knew that someone had not just brushed against him but touched Him in faith and healing power had been released to that individual. When the woman came forward Jesus simply said, “your faith has made us well, go in peace…”
I found it of interest today as I was reading Mark 5 and 6 how that there where others who also experienced a healing touch from Jesus through touching His garment. Mark 6:56 says that as many as touched the fringe of His garment were made well.
Touching Jesus in Faith brings miracles. Today, we often view that as our commitment to prayer and seeking the Lord. I believe many have “touched Jesus” in faith on my behalf and their prayers have been answered.
David exclaimed in Psalm 65:2 “O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.” Then we read David’s words in Psalm 66:19,20 “…truly God listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!”
Let’s be willing to “touch Jesus” in faith as we pray and bring our needs to Him. He will listen and we will know the reality of His steadfast love.