Jesus Never Had a Bubble~

This DEVO was originally published April 28, 2014.  I am revising it here because there is a strong need among us to seek Christ like never before – no matter the obstacles.

Tuesday greetings ~

I have a personal bubble. It’s the space around me that I consider private, and I don’t appreciate people all up in my bubble. Whether it’s to touch me, breathe on me, or to talk to me. A very select few are welcome in my bubble – like Jorge – but even then, I prefer a respectable distance. (The exception is all babies and small, friendly animals). 

I actually have a colleague whom I am very fond of, but the first time we met I flat out told him he was in my bubble because he was less than an inch from my face.  All he or I could do was laugh!

Thank goodness, however, that Jesus never had a personal bubble.

Mark 5:25-34 tells the story of a woman who had a pretty serious bleeding problem.  Doctor after doctor couldn’t help her and some had even stolen money from her.  But then she heard about Christ – the One Who said, “I will never turn away anyone who comes to Me (John 6:37).” She knew where He was, which was in the middle of a big crowd, but she made her way to Him and touched His robe, “because she thought, ‘If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.’”

And guess what?

“Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”

No wonder this is one of my favorite passages in scripture, and here’s why. A woman, who by all accounts had every reason to be tired, frustrated, depressed, desperate, and hopeless DID NOT GIVE UP!  Twelve years is a long time to be suffering. Honestly, 12 hours, 12 days, 12 weeks, 12 months of an ongoing serious problem is terrifyingly exhausted. But 12 years? Lord, have mercy. And yet she heard something amazing about Jesus that compelled her to venture out in her ever-worsening condition and touch Him – to touch Him without His permission, by the way. Talk about invading someone’s bubble!

Jesus did not get upset, and His response is something that should encourage us all: “You took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”

Her “risk of faith” paid off, and so will ours; Jesus welcomes and rewards our every effort to reach out and touch Him!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Sometimes we get discouraged.  Sometimes we feel as though our problems have been going on for a long time.  Yet this woman in the Bible story did not give up.  She made her way to You and received a healing.  We reach out to You today as well and ask for a healing in our emotions, body, and soul. Thank You for being accessible.  You want us to “live well and lived blessed,” and we receive it.  In Your name we pray, AMEN.

Reach Out and Touch SOMEONE~

Monday greetings ~

I have a personal bubble. It’s the space around me that I consider private, and I don’t particularly appreciate people all up in my bubble. Whether it’s to touch me, breathe on me, or to talk to me. A very select few are welcome in my bubble – like Jorge – but even then, I appreciate a respectable distance. (The exception is all babies and small, friendly animals). There’s actually a colleague I am very fond of because the first time we met, I accused him of being in my bubble – which he knows he was – and we both cracked up. And when he met Rayray for the first time, we played a joke where he introduced himself about half an inch away from her nose, and seeing her all uncomfortable was hilarious.

Thank goodness, though, that Jesus never had a personal bubble.

Mark 5:25-34 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.

At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!”
But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.
Jesus said to her,“Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”

†††††††††

This is one of my favorite passages in scripture, and here’s why. A woman, who by all accounts had every reason to be tired, frustrated, depressed, desperate, and hopeless did not give up.
Twelve years is a long time to be suffering. Honestly, 12 days, 12 weeks, 12 months of an ongoing serious problem is terrifyingly exhausted. But 12 years? Lord, have mercy. And yet she must have heard something amazing about Jesus to venture out in her worsening condition and touch Him – to touch Him without His permission, by the way. Talk about invading someone’s bubble. But Jesus did not get upset. Her “risk of faith” paid off.

Jesus welcomes our every effort to reach out and touch Him.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We reach out to You today by prayer and ask for a healing in our emotions, body, and soul. Thank You for being accessible. In Your name we pray, AMEN.