July 22, 2022 – Words of Wisdom, Lisa Bevere (Christian Author)

God’s love for us is not subject to how we feel about ourselves. – Lisa Bevere

“Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians and had spent all that she had, and she was no better but rather grew worse.She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his cloak, I will be made well.”Immediately her flow of blood stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my cloak?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ”He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:25-34

At Our Wits End

This woman is certainly at her wits end. She has spent all of her money on doctors and treatments – and still she suffers from a bleeding disorder. How many times do we feel the same way as this woman – at our wits end not knowing where else to turn? I preached a funeral sermon the other day where I shared with them these words from a modern day proverb:

“When you are at your wits end, remember G-d lives there.”

There are too many people out there in our society, in our country, and in our world who desperately need an encounter with the Jesus, who are living at their wits end, and who do not know where to turn. Throughout his ministry Jesus begs the outsiders to come to him – the ones desperately seeking an encounter with a G-d who, when they finally feel G-d’s love and acceptance that Jesus offers, well they might finally feel something inside of themselves begin to heal – or they might experience a love and a measure of Grace they thought they would never find.

Finally, Jesus calls this woman “daughter”. He accepts her into his family. We cannot miss this small gesture – for it is a huge deal. No one is outside of the possibility of being a part of G-d’s family. No one. All are welcome.

Let us pray

Lord Christ, you welcome the stranger, the sick, the outsider, the lost, last, least and little. Help me to remember today that I am in that list – that I matter – I am not outside of your love. Amen.

Pastor Dave