Really, what does make you feel better at the end of the day, the risks you took or how you played it safe? In the gospel of Luke there is a story of a woman who had what was called an issue with blood for many years. This condition was not only unhealthy, it caused her to be an outcast in her community. Now imagine how she felt when she heard talk of Jesus and the miracles that He was doing. Was it enough for her to take the personal risk to come out, to expose herself to danger and ridicule, to get close enough to touch the hem of Jesus garment? Scripture tells us that she was not put off by the social norms, but that she had faith enough in Jesus to know that He would heal her when no one else could. Luke 8:45 and Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” What I like about this scripture is that Jesus was not about to let the faith of this woman be wasted. He asked the question and was not silent when Peter and others thought that He was being overly sensitive to a large crowd of people that were obviously pressing against Him. Jesus not only refused, He demanded that the individual come forward. In Luke 8:47-48 the woman came forward, she declared to Jesus in the presence of all the people why she had touched Him and how she was immediately healed. Jesus then said to her, “Daughter be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
This was a changing point for our woman when she did not allow fear to keep her from exercising faith and stepping out. That day she stepped out not just once, but a second time when Jesus called her out and she had to bear witness to her healing. Then, Jesus declared for all to hear that it was her faith that made her well that day. Although things could have gone very badly that day she was confident enough to take the risk. Perhaps she considered that she might never be this close to Jesus again, and that was not a chance that she was willing to take.
Is there something holding you back from stepping out and exercising that faith in action? When I look back on my day I want to know obstacles did not put me off, but that I took what was necessary to make my life say something about who I am. We don’t know the name of the woman mentioned in the above scripture, but I believe we will always remember her courage and determination that day.