Romans 8:28 Rings True

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Last Thursday began like most days. Toward the end of my quiet time with Jesus, my girls came into my bedroom in all their morning cuteness, blurry-eyed and hair a fright. We cuddled together for a moment before beginning our morning routine of showering, dressing, and the like.

My girls usually finish getting ready before I do, so they ran downstairs, busying themselves with coloring and drawing in the kitchen. Moments later, however, I heard Avery, my younger daughter, yell, “Mom, Ella poked me with a pencil!”

To which Ella replied, “But it wasn’t very hard!”

Really?!? I thought. It was all going so well.

Turns out, Ella intentionally “poked” or stabbed (to be more exact) Avery with a pencil. Not okay in my book. But after disciplining Ella, we had a serious talk about hurting others.

Ella is seven. Up to this point, we have taught her about Jesus, we’ve talked about Jesus being her Savior, but I never asked them to pray the prayer for salvation.

I didn’t want this prayer to be something forced or something they just did because they’re told it’s what they’re supposed to do. I wanted it to be authentic. From their heart. I wanted them to desire Jesus and realize they can’t do this thing called life without Him!

This would not happen through any effort of my own. This would not happen by me leading them to say a prayer asking Jesus into their heart before they had the desire. What children need––what we all need––is the grace of God.

Salvation comes by grace through faith!

It is a gift from God. And it cannot be manipulated into being.

Ella and I talked about hurting others. We talked about the condition of her heart. We talked about our need for Jesus. And I can honestly say that for the first time, she was broken over her sin, and she realized she needed Jesus.

“Have you ever prayed for Jesus to save you?” I asked.

“No,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

“Do you want Jesus in your heart? Do you want Him to save you?”

“Yes,” she said without hesitation.

We talked extensively about what that meant and about who she knew Jesus to be.

“But I want you to say the prayer,” she told me.

“No honey. Mommy can’t do that,” I said. “I pray for you all the time, but this is a prayer you need to pray.” I told her that her relationship with Jesus is something that is her own. It’s something she needs to cultivate. No one else could do it for her.

“But I don’t know what to say.”

Facing one another, we held hands and began to pray, both of us crying like babies. With genuine sincerity, my little Ella prayed a “repeat after me” prayer for Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.

What began with her committing a sin against her sister ended with her brokenness and her salvation, and I praise Jesus for His grace.

“You’re way ahead of me,” I told Ella with a smile. “I wasn’t saved until I was 29!”

“Whoa,” she said, bright-eyed.

Thank God for grace.

Since then, I’ve been thinking. My dad was saved only months before his death by Jesus through the very events that led to his murder (more on this later). I was saved as a direct result of the effects of my dad’s death. And now, my daughter has been saved as a result of my salvation.

Romans 8:28 rings true.

{Jesus is our Redeemer.}

Question: How have you seen Romans 8:28 played out in your life? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Forgiveness Requires Humility

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. – Proverbs 11:2

Two options were set before me when called to forgive Anthony (the man who murdered my dad):

I could either choose to remain prideful––failing to see error in my perspective––or I could choose to humble myself before God and recognize that my “truth” was not God’s truth.

Truth is, forgiveness requires humility. [Tweet that]

It requires us to recognize that we may have some culpability in the situation or, at the very least, that we’re not seeing as we ought. We need to recognize that not all of what we believe to be the truth is ultimately God’s truth.

When forgiving another of a sin committed against us, we must take a moment to examine ourselves as well. We need to understand that our perspective may be askew. We need to ask ourselves some very important questions.

How might we be wrong in how we’re looking at the situation?

How might our actions have contributed to the situation (in some cases)?

What biases are we be bringing into our perspective?

The proud never admit they may be wrong or their perspective may be biased or just plain wrong. The humble, on the other hand, seek to see as Jesus does even if that means they find fault in themselves.

{Forgiveness requires humility.}

Questions: Have you considered the possibility that your truth may not be true? How might we be able to shed our biases? How do you think we might be able to come closer to God’s truth? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Forgiveness} Make No Mistake, Justice Will Be Served.

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

I’ve written about misconceptions about forgiveness before. But I believe one of the largest hindrances to forgiveness is a misconception that stems from childhood.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve negotiated peace between two children who are mad at one another. Regardless of what caused the issue, our peace talk usually goes something like this:

Me: “Tell her you’re sorry.”

Child (usually one of my daughters): “I’m sorry.”

The other child: “It’s okay.”

But it’s not okay. Many children are told by their parents (as I mistakenly did as a new parent) to respond to an apology by telling the other child that it’s okay.

But it’s not okay to bite one another. It’s not okay to hit one another. Simply put, it’s not okay to sin against one another. And when we tell children to say “it’s okay” in this context, we are not teaching them forgiveness, but instead, we are teaching them to accept the offenses that are committed against them.

I believe it is this teaching that makes us feel like forgiveness lets the offender off the hook. And it may be why many refuse to forgive.

When I was working toward forgiveness with Anthony, the man who murdered my dad, my sister (among many others) couldn’t understand what I was doing.

“It’s like you’re saying what he did is okay,” she kept saying.

“No,” I told her, “I’m not saying what Anthony did is okay. It will never be okay! What he did was beyond wrong, but ultimately, God tells us to forgive, so we must forgive.”

I went on to explain that God is the ultimate judge. We are not. [Tweet that] And when God asks us to forgive, He is asking us to release the offender over to Him that ultimate justice may be served. [Tweet that]

When we refuse to forgive, we are in our own small way taking justice into our own hands, enacting our own wrath and anger upon the offender. But we were never created to bear this heavy burden. After a while, this anger turns to bitterness which imprisons us and poisons our souls. But forgiveness releases us from this prison and frees us to live with peace.

Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”

Rest assured, we serve a just God. And He will see to it that justice is done. [Tweet that]

One way or another, the sins committed against you (like the sins you commit) will be reconciled. Either your offender, lacking saving faith, will take the eternal punishment of sin upon himself, or if he is a follower of Christ, his sins were paid for on the cross.

Either way, justice will be served.

So, instead of intently holding onto your offenses, allow Jesus to take them, freeing you to live the life He died for you to have. Romans 12:21 tells us, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Stop allowing your lack of forgiveness overcome you.

Stop allowing your past to cast its shadow upon your present. [Tweet that]

Release your anger to God.

Forgive.

And know, without a doubt, that justice will be served.

{Justice will be served.}

Question: What’s stopping you from forgiving? How does this truth change the way you view forgiveness? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Repentance} Wanna Be Empowered Today?

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

I’ve been talking a lot about repentance, and I know it can become a weighty topic, to say the least. But I feel like God has empowered me in this area recently, and I just have to pass this along.

I’ve been feeling convicted lately about several sins in my life. And maybe it’s just me, but do you ever feel like you need to repent but you need to wait for the empowerment of God to do so? [Tweet that]

Well, this is where I found myself last week.

During my quiet time with God, I decided to begin reading Romans. I opened it up, read the first paragraph, and that was just about enough for the day. I needed to digest what I read, so I read it again. And again.

Toward the end of that paragraph, Paul says, “through [Jesus] we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name…” (Romans 1:5).

We received grace to bring about the obedience of faith. We received grace. Past tense. It’s a done deal.

I love what the ESV Study Bible footnote says. It says, “Obedience is required, but it is an obedience that flows from saving faith and is always connected to ongoing faith” (emphasis mine).

We Are Empowered

Here’s the thing: The moment we are saved. The moment we bow our knee to Jesus, accepting Him to be Lord of our lives and Savior of our souls, we were given the gift of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:8).

The Spirit is power. He is all the power we need to live out this Christian life. [Tweet that]

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”

Romans 8:11 tells us that “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

We have been given life. We have been set free from sin and death through Jesus. And we are now free to live a life of power through the Holy Spirit.

So, why do we, at times, feel so impotent to live out godly lives? What takes the wind out of our sails? [Tweet that]

Deception.

Truth tells us we have the power of the Holy Spirit to live out our faith.

Satan tells us we have no power within us or we need to wait for empowerment.

There are times we need to wait on the Lord for sure, but we never need to wait to repent. We never need to wait to feel empowered to do that which we are called to do. But instead, remember that we are empowered to follow Jesus.

So, here’s the bottom line: You don’t need to wait for the ability to live out your Christian life, you already have the power within. Now live like you believe it.

{The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. Believe and live in light of this truth.}

Question: Do you ever feel like you need to wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Rely Upon Jesus

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of themand said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven….” – Matthew 18:2-3

Lord, I can’t do this without you, I prayed. Help me. Give me wisdom. Show me the way, and I will follow.

I can’t tell you how often I uttered these words throughout my correspondence with Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. I was under no illusion I could take even one step without clear direction from Jesus during this difficult journey. I was terrified to be outside of His will, for I knew things could go very wrong in a situation like this apart from God.

Each time I received a letter, my emotions ran high. I wanted to react quickly, with little grace. I wanted to rebuke Anthony. Set him straight. I wanted him to see as I saw. (It turns out, however, I wasn’t always right. We both had a lot to learn.) But I had a strong conviction that I wasn’t to trust my thoughts and I wasn’t to respond to my emotions, but instead, I was to wait.

I needed to respond not react to Anthony’s letters, but I needed to wait for my emotions to settle before I was able to do so. As I waited, I put Anthony’s latest letter on my nightstand as a reminder to pray, to seek the Lord in how He wanted me to respond. I needed clarity. And clarity only came with time.

Here’s the truth: If we are to remain in the will of God, we must be in complete reliance upon Jesus. [Tweet that]

When presented with a trial, it seems easier to depend on God. The difficulty comes when applying this truth to everyday life. When life settles down, we seem to think we’ve got it covered, when in all actuality, we don’t. We deceive ourselves when we think we don’t need Jesus’ direction with every detail of our lives. [Tweet that]

How would our lives be different, what impact would our lives have, how much joy would we experience if we were to simply seek the will of God (and not move until we hear Him speak) in all we do and all we say? This, I believe, is paramount to living life victoriously. Jesus has a call on each of our lives. He wants to use us. But we must rely on Him and surrender completely to His will in order to get there.

Just imagine what He could do with our lives if we die to ourselves and live for Him!

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. – Psalm 16:11

{If we are to remain in the will of God, we must be in complete reliance upon Jesus.}

Do you live in complete reliance upon Jesus? If so, what impact has this had on your life? If not, how might your life change if you began to do so?

Join the discussion! Leave a comment.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Get Over That Hurdle

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. – 1 Corinthians 16:8-9

The door shut. I was presented with a significant hurdle.

Lord, I thought You wanted me to bring Anthony a Bible, I prayed. How can I bring him a Bible if I can’t visit him?

I held the letter from the warden I received that afternoon. He denied my application to visit Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. Still, I knew what I knew.

I knew Jesus called me to forgive Anthony.

I knew Jesus called me to love Anthony, my enemy.

I knew Jesus called me to have contact with Anthony.

Of these things, I was sure.

What I didn’t know was how it would play out, now that I couldn’t go see him.

Every journey Jesus calls us on is coupled with resistance and difficulty. Roadblocks and hurdles are sure to come. At first glance, it seems these obstructions indicate we’re on the wrong path. But, rest assured. Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not God’s will.

In fact, the greatest endeavors we’re called to will most likely be the most difficult things we do. [Tweet that]

What I didn’t know when I received the denial letter from the warden is that the path Jesus forged for me to take would look far different than the one I imagined it to be. But it was this path that led both Anthony and I to a place of deep healing and forgiveness which was not possible any other way, and I am unbelievable thankful Jesus allowed that hurdle to be placed in my way.

Oftentimes, God places circumstances to steer us onto the path He has for us. But don’t allow these difficulties to derail you. With prayerful consideration, you must choose to press forth and get over that hurdle.

Blessings await you on the other side.

{Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not God’s will.}

What hurdles have you had to overcome along the way?

Join the discussion! Leave a comment.

To read more about the warden’s denial read When Doors Shut.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} When Jesus Calls, Follow

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

We’re called to follow Jesus daily through every little intricacy life has to offer.

But there are times Jesus calls us to follow Him to do something much bigger, something that will alter the course of our lives.

I have two such events in my life.

The first was the call to love and forgive Anthony, the man who murdered my dad.

The second was to write about this experience––both on this blog and to begin writing a book––to show others just what God can do when we choose to follow Him.

Now, you would think the difficulty came when called to interact with the man who murdered my dad. But when Jesus beckoned me to follow Him toward forgiveness––which I knew would require that I delve into the deepest, darkest parts of my soul––I was given grace to follow immediately, without reservation, without rebellion, without questioning Jesus or reasoning with Him. The outcome, as you may know, was mind-blowing. (If you have yet to read about what God did through this journey toward forgiveness, read here or here, along with many other posts on this blog.)

But when I was called to write––I hate to admit this––but I fought Jesus with all I had.

Now, oddly enough, it’s not that I did not want to write––I enjoy writing. It’s not that I did not want to share my testimony––I wanted to share, I wanted the whole world to know what God had done. It’s not that I did not want to bring glory to God, for that’s the sole driving force behind all that I do. In fact, I want my life to be a huge banner pointing to the glory of God as a follower of Christ.

I think, perhaps, it was fear that hindered me from following right away.

Honestly, when called to write, I knew God was placing His call on my life. It was what He wanted me to do. Forgiving Anthony felt more like a task (which is a bad way to look at it, I know). But the call to write required a lifelong commitment to my calling, which intimidated me.

When called to write, I thought I had submitted myself to Jesus, but soon, it became clear that I was still holding on to part of my life. I still wanted to control my future. I knew then, as I do now, that He would lead me to great things, things beyond my wildest imagination. But obeying still proved to be difficult.

Finally, after months of wrestling with God, I agreed, and I began to write. During my quiet time with Jesus, He pointed me to Matthew 21:28-31:

“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”They said, “The first”….

Jesus was telling me: Yes, you’ve fought me. Yes, you’ve been rebellious, but now… now, you are on the right path. You are doing your Father’s will.

It would have been so much easier to simply follow Jesus when He originally called. How we begin our race, however, isn’t nearly as important as how we finish. What, ultimately, matters is where we find ourselves on our last day.

We are to run this race well, as Paul says. We’re to fight the good fight of faith, but in order to do that, we must follow Jesus. He is our Good Shepherd who guides us along the difficult, narrow path leading us to the gates of eternity.

One thing is clear. We cannot accomplish this apart from Jesus.

So, when Jesus calls, follow. [Tweet that]

{When Jesus calls, follow.}

Share your testimony. How has following Jesus impacted your life?

Join the discussion! Leave a comment.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} In Order to Follow Jesus, We Must Know Jesus.

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Do you trust someone you don’t know? Would you listen to the advice of someone you just met and follow them into a risky situation?

I think most people would have enough discernment to get to know someone prior to trusting them. And this translates well into our relationship with God. If you don’t know Jesus, why would you trust Him with your life?

Yes, it is true. In order to follow Jesus, we must know Jesus. [Tweet that]

Here’s how this played out in my story:

When I was called to forgive Anthony, I knew God is loving, and that He was simply asking me to give what He graciously gave me.

When I was called to love my enemy, I knew God is good, and that He would only ask me to do something that would lead me to a better place.

When I feared interaction with a man capable of murder, I knew God is my Protector, and I knew He loved me and there was no reason to fear.

When the warden turned down my visitation application, and I struggled with whether or not I was on the right path, I knew Jesus is my Shepherd, and He would show me the way.

When the correspondence between Anthony and I became “heated” as we hashed through the particulars of the murder, I knew God had purpose in even the most difficult times.

When I felt I couldn’t go on, when the emotions of digging up the darkest parts of my past threatened to pull me under, I knew God is my Healer, and He would bring me through.

When those in my life witnessed the intense trials along the way and began to express their doubts about whether I should continue, I knew God called me to correspond with Anthony, and He would redeem my dad’s murder through this trial.

When I got each letter and awaited direction from the Lord on how to proceed, I knew God usually doesn’t perform on my timetable. But, I knew He always answers those who cry out to Him, in His perfect timing.

When I forgave Anthony, I knew God gave me grace to forgive and there was nothing inside of me capable of that forgiveness apart from Him.

When I witnessed a complete transformation in Anthony as God brought him to repentance, I knew God is powerful, and He changes hearts of stone into ones that exude His light and beauty.

When I saw God use this testimony to transform others, including many prisoners, I knew God has a heart for the lost and chooses the least of these (myself included) to adopt into His family.

There’s so much more.

But here’s the thing: had I not known God’s character to begin with, I would not have followed, and I would have no testimony to share.

Knowing God

I don’t know how to say this without sounding harsh, but here’s the truth: many Christians claim to know and love Jesus but don’t.

Many of us claim to be in relationship with God, but spend little or no time in His presence. Many of us claim to know God, but actually possess very little knowledge about who God is––we don’t know His character as revealed in His Word.

But it’s not enough to simply know about God. We must know God. It’s important to ask ourselves: Do I really know God or do I just know about Him? This distinction may seem like a small nuance to some, but the difference is paramount.

So, how do we come to know God?

The answer is not in religion. [Tweet that] It’s not to be found in what we do or how good we are, but I do believe it begins prayer. A simple prayer asking Him for the grace to know Him and to want to spend time with Him. A marriage doesn’t thrive when the couple spends most of their time apart. They must make time together a priority if their marriage is going to thrive. It’s the same with your relationship with God.

Make time for Him. Spend time in prayer, write in a prayer journal, read your Bible, take a walk by yourself and seek God, or simply sit before Him in silence. Whatever it takes to come to Jesus, do it!

Make Jesus a priority and just watch what He begins to do in your life. [Tweet that]

As you come to him [Jesus], a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 2:4-5

{In order to follow Jesus, we must know Jesus.}

How has knowing God allowed you to step out in faith?

Share in the comments.

NOTE: I tried, really, I did. I tried to make it short, but this was surely anything but short! Here’s to keeping that goal in the future!!

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

New Beginnings

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

My family and I took quite a bit of time off this holiday season, and we sure made good use of our time together. Besides celebrating Christmas and bringing in the new year, we enjoyed time with friends and family, a day at the movies, skiing, sledding (perks of living twenty minutes from Tahoe), and just enjoyed each other’s company.

It’s been nice, but now, we’re back to it. And I’m ready to dive back into writing!

New Beginnings

As a new year begins, I think it’s an appropriate time to assess where we’ve been, where we currently find ourselves, and where we’re going. To see what worked, what didn’t, and to take a look at the reasons behind these successes and failures.

While it’s good to assess each aspect of your life, in a more holistic approach, I’d like to challenge you to take some time, look back over 2012, and deliberately assess your relationship with Jesus.

Though I’ve spouted off this truth many times, I know it to be true now more than ever: we can do nothing apart from Jesus. Our life, and everything we hope to achieve during it’s duration, amounts to nothing if Jesus is not at our center.

With this in mind, I’ve come up with several questions for you to answer, in hopes they will lead you into deeper relationship with Jesus in the year 2013. I hope you find them helpful.

Be sure to write your answers down!

Overall during 2012, did you grow closer to Jesus or further away? Why?
Did you see yourself grow in your faith? What “fruit” was produced as a result of your growth?
Did you notice a backslide in your faith? Why do you think that was? How has this setback affected you, your relationship with God, your life, your family, your friends, your community?
At any point last year, did you hear from God? Did He call you to do something? Did you do it? Why or why not?
In what areas have you struggled the most in 2012? How might you be able to see victory in these areas in 2013?
What are your top 10 evidences of God’s grace in your life in 2012?
What area of your life do you need to surrender to God in 2013? (Remember, He won’t settle for part of you; He wants all of you.)
What are your top 5 “successes” pertaining to your faith in 2012?
What are your top 5 “failures” pertaining to your faith in 2012?
If you were to choose one word to represent an area that you need to focus on in your life what would it be? Write this word down. Keep it somewhere you will see it as a reminder.
How might you be able to grow in your relationship with God this year? Pray for God to show you. Ask for at least 5 action steps. Put at least one in place today.

I pray your answers will allow you to gain insight into the areas you need God’s grace to touch. I pray each one of you grows deeper in love with our mighty God beginning today, and that this love will allow you to endure unto the end.

Here’s to new beginnings. May you be given many blessings––whether through hardship or joys––in the year to come….

Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.

- Isaiah 43:19

{We serve a God of new beginnings. Let your relationship with Jesus deepen in 2013.}

What are your hopes for 2013?

Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

Will You Press Through to Get Into the Presence of God?

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Laurie Coombs

There is an account found in three out of the four gospels. It is the story of a woman who endured a discharge of blood for twelve years. One thing we must understand is that a condition such as this rendered the woman “unclean.” She would have been a lonely woman, devoid of touch or much companionship at all.

Come with me for a moment and imagine….

You are this woman.

You cannot touch others, and others cannot touch you. You’re outcasted. Desperate, you spend all your financial resources going to doctors. One after another. But they’re no help. Instead of seeing improvement, you only worsen.

Can you relate to this woman in any way?

Quite possibly, in some area of your life, you need help. You seek help––help that promises a solution to your problem––only to find yourself right where you began, or perhaps even behind a step or two.

Another solution is presented to you.

You find enough hope to take that step. You join another program or see another doctor which will hopefully lead you toward health, wholeness, satisfaction (whatever it is for you). But a few months later, you’re, once again, right where you began.

But then there’s news of this guy. He sounds pretty awesome. Perhaps He can help me, you think. There’s talk around your village that He’s passing through.

If only, you think.

If only you could see Him. Touch Him.

No. Your hope is greater than that.

This guy, some say, is the One. If only you could touch the edge of His garment. Then. Perhaps then, you would be healed. You would be free of this burden weighing heavy upon your shoulders.

You go out and see Him pass by.

Hope fills your heart like never before, and you know. All you need is Him.

But there’s a crowd. A large one, pressing in all around. How will you ever manage to get through?

You’ll have to press in all the more.

But along the way, you touch others––making them unclean––as you strive to reach your goal. And then, you’re there.

You see Him.

Reach out.

And touch the edge, just the edge, of His garment.

In an instant, you know. You’ve been healed. You feel it, and you’re filled with joy and relief.

But then, the Man turns around. “Who was it that touched me?” the man asks.

“It wasn’t me,” you join the crowd in saying.

“Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you.” A men explains.

“Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”

Knowing you won’t be hidden for long, you come forward. Trembling and falling down before Him, you explain your condition and tell of your healing. You’re afraid, for you have just done what ought not to be done. You touched others. But ultimately, you touched Him.

You look up, anticipating rebuke, but are met with compassion instead. ”Your faith has made you well; go in peace,” He says.

…

Oftentimes, we fail to see Jesus as the answer. But ultimately, it’s not what He can do for us that we need most. We seek Him for our needs, and He invites us to do so, but ultimately we are most in need of His presence. We need Him. It was His presence that made this woman well.

Coming to Jesus doesn’t mean He will heal all our diseases. It doesn’t mean our lives will become easy. Sometimes, by His providence, He allows certain conditions to remain. But coming to Jesus––into His presence––daily does mean we will be right where we ought to be. And from this place, all other things fall into place.

When coming to Jesus, you must be aware, however, that there will be hinderances, but my question to you today is this: Will you press through to get into the presence of God?

If you do, you will find yourself right where you ought to be.

{Press through. Jesus is your only hope. Your only salvation.}