Kimberly Farmer

We often read and hear about the woman in the Bible who had the issue of blood. There were crowds around Jesus, but she pressed through the crowds to reach him and when she touched the hem of Jesus’ clothes, she was healed. But have you ever noticed that this was not the only account of someone touching Jesus’ clothing and being healed? Matthew 14:35 says,

And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

What an amazing verse to just stop and meditate on. Imagine all the people who were sick who came to reach Jesus.

• These people must have been very sick, because they had to be brought to Jesus; they didn’t just casually walk there.
• They must have been desperate for healing, because it was not an easy feat to get near Jesus; some were coming from the surrounding country, they didn’t have easy modes of transportation or communication, and once they arrived, there were many crowds surrounding Jesus.
• They must have had faith. One doesn’t go through all the pain and all the trouble to touch a man’s clothes, if he doesn’t believe that he will be healed.

The Scripture says, “and all who touched him were healed.” Can you imagine the wonderful chaos that must have been taking place as lame men jumped, blind men saw beauty, lepers were physically transformed, and so many other diseases and sicknesses were healed. What a time of rejoicing! What a compassionate Savior!

Now think of all those who were sick and did not go to Jesus. The Great Physician was in their town walking their streets, and they were too busy to meet Him or they didn’t believe in Him or they just didn’t care. How terribly sad, and yet I think of the people today who are also missing out on God’s compassion because they won’t reach out and touch Him.

Miracles still surround Jesus; His power is not dead, because He is not dead. Reach out and touch Jesus. Know His compassion, know His mercy, and experience His healing. He still heals diseases, and He still heals broken hearts.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
– John 3:16-18

While I attended college, I lived on campus, which meant I was constantly and completely surrounded by people with whom I had much in common. Having a social life was never so easy. I had so many choices of people with whom I could chat, study, hang out, date, or call my friend. Some people like professors and fellow students were in my life because they had to be, but some like roommates, friends, and boyfriends were in my life because I wanted them to be. I had a lot of control over who became part of my life and whose lives I became part of.

At one point, I began to stuggle in my spritual walk with Christ. I still loved the Lord and I was still living “good,” but I didn’t feel His presence as I was used to feeling it and I began feeling empty. I was quick to ask God what was wrong, and why was I confused? Then God showed me the truth, as He always does when one of His children wants to be close to Him. I read Galatians 5:7: “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” So I began to break down the verse and apply it to me…

• You were running a good race – Yes, I was. I had been growing closer to the Lord, I had been doing my best to be a light to others, I had been obedient to the Holy Spirit, and I had been going forward. But I wasn’t going anywhere anymore.
• Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? – Good question, and though it was difficult to admit, I knew the answer.

Who we surround ourselves with matters, doesn’t it? I realized then that no person was worth losing the race. It’s more than a sprint in high school. This race is what will take us to heaven. This race is one that requires perseverance, strength, and wisdom; and we can’t let anyone cut in on us. Life is too short and too important for us to stop running. There’s no time to stop on the sideline. We must go forward no matter what.

When you find out you’re having a baby, you immediately become incredibly interested in “baby things.” You start reading books, you start making lists, and all your conversations turn into question and answer sessions regarding the subject of babies. In general, you suddenly see the world through “pink and blue colored glasses.” Such was the case with me.

Taken from Max Lucado’s book, “It’s Not About Me”, Chapter 3.

God has one goal: God. “I have my reputation to keep up” (Isaiah 48:11 MSG). Surprised? Isn’t such an attitude, dare we ask, self-centered? Don’t we deem this behavior “self-promotion”? Why does God broadcast himself?

For the same reason the pilot of the lifeboat does. Think of it this way. You’re floundering neck-deep in a dark, cold sea. Ship sinking. Life jacket deflating. Strength waning. Through the inky night comes the voice of a lifeboat pilot. But you cannot see him. What do you want the driver of the lifeboat to do?

Be quiet? Say nothing? Stealth his way through the drowning passengers? Bu no means! You need volume! Amp it up, buddy! In biblical jargon, you want him to show his glory. You need to hear him say, “I am here. I am strong. I have room for you. I can save you!” Drowning passengers want the pilot to reveal his preeminence.

Don’t we want God to do the same? Look around. People thrash about in seas of guilt, anger, despair. Life isn’t working. We are going down fast. But God can rescue us. And only one message matters. His! We need to see God’s glory.

A lady at my church was telling me last week that her son is going through extremely intense training for the U.S. Special Forces. She explained that if these soldiers can make it through the training, they absolutely deserve to be chosen. Thinking about how difficult this sounded, I asked the question, “Does he want to be in the Special Forces?” Her quick reply was, “Oh, yes!”
I have been thinking about that a lot. You know, God has very important work that needs to be done here on this earth, and He needs the best soldiers to handle it. Lately, I have found myself desperately wanting to be part of God’s big plan – more than what I’m contributing now. I can do more, I can get closer to God, and I can be a greater threat to the enemy. I want the enemy to cringe when I come near. I want him to tremble because the power of God is so strong on me that he can’t bear it. I want to take all the filth and deception he has spread and I want to throw it back in his face. Satan is not in competition with Jesus. Satan is not Jesus’ equal. Satan was defeated when Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead! It’s time for the people of God to stand up straight with the armor of God securely about them and the power of God upon them. It’s time to start fighting like the conquerors we are through Christ!

Do you want to be in God’s Special Forces? It takes a lot of extremely intense training. You’ll have to face huge obstacles and work under seemingly-impossible conditions. You’ll have to tap into every ounce of faith you have, sharpen your sword to the maximum, and stir up courage you didn’t know you could have. Can you handle that? Is that what you want? I hope you can answer, “Oh, yes!”

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? -Psalm 18:28-31

There is nothing else that gives you quite the same feeling as taking off in an airplane – the deep thunderous sounds of the plane working, the pressure you feel come over your body in a wave, and the amazing site of the earth very quickly becoming small beneath you.

I love to have a window seat so I can watch the world go by. Every time I look out on all the little cars that look like colorful ants, the streets that look like threads, and the land that looks like a patchwork quilt, I marvel at how big God is. Then I am reminded of how easy it is for Him to intervene in my life. I look out my plane window and the world looks so tiny. In one instant I am looking at thousands of people who have needs. Their problems feel big to them, but from my view they are very small.

When you are sick, it may seem like a complicated thing for God to heal you. When you are struggling emotionally, it may seem impossible for you to feel right again. When you are looking for direction, it may seem like you’ll never have an answer. When you are lost, it may seem difficult for God to find you.

These problems ARE big to us. But that doesn’t matter at all, because WE aren’t the ones who have to fix them. The Word of God says in Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” We have a big, big God and NOTHING is too difficult for Him. So have faith and take courage…your problem is no match for the strong and capable hand of God.

He [Goliath, the Philistine] looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our
hands.” -1 Samuel 17:42-47

What boldness and authority David showed toward the Philistine! Without military training, without experience, and without size and strength, David refused to let the enemy get away with defying his God and His army. David knew that he was on God’s side – He KNEW. He knew that it was God who would fight the battle. As my husband has pointed out, Goliath was struck in the forehead with the stone, but he “fell on his face to the earth”…. It was God who struck down Goliath. When the enemy comes at us, do we cower and tremble in fear, or do we meet the enemy head on, ready to experience the victory that comes from standing upon the promises of God and trusting Him to fight the battle?

The missionary who had toiled fervently for those souls in Africa for over twenty years was coming into the American port. On the same ship, Theodore Roosevelt was ariving home from a two-week African safari. As the ship approached the dock, the passengers could see those on land waving banners and celebrating. The excitement grew as the ship’s passengers stepped onto the dock, and the shouts of exclamation climaxed as the President walked down the gangplank. No one noticed the worn and weary missionary walking among them. Once he was away from the crowd, the missionary turned his face toward heaven and cried, “Lord, I have worked so long and so hard for you. I have tried to bring your message to the lost, evn though most have rejected it. O, Lord, now that I am home, those praises and shouts of welcome should have been for me.” Then the Lord answered, “My son, you are not home yet.”

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
-Hebrews 12:2,3

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
-1 Peter 2:9