Mark 5:25-34

25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all
she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about
Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she
thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding
stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At
once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the
crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding
against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’
” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman,
knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with
fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed
you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Meditation
1. Jesus, on his way to the home of a dying girl, was touched by a woman with
chronic bleeding. She spent all she had to search for a cure but to no avail.
Then she heard about Jesus, she became convinced that if she could only
touch his clothing, she would be healed. And she was healed indeed.
2. Mark is demonstrating to us here that Jesus Christ, ruler of God’s kingdom,
has power over nature, over demonic power, and over every illness. Knowing
Jesus has such power gives us confidence to live by his word, even if he
should not choose to heal every believer’s disease now.
3. Tell Jesus all of my urgent needs and ask for His healing and help.

Personal Note:
From point 2, we need to accept the reality that we have saints who pray with faith, and yet their love ones dies at the end.  I was recently at a funeral of an elderly lady on the weekend.  The woman endured years of physical suffering before her death.  From her testimony and the testimony of her friends, her faith enable her to rejoice and live life to the fullest despite her last few years' worsening physical condition.  She was at peace and was experiencing God's freedom and she was a tremendous blessing to brothers and sisters around her.

I do not suffer much physically now a days.  I thank God for giving me health so that I can enjoy various physical activities like basketball and running, etc.  I do need help in overcoming discouragement and have faith in God's power in growing the English congregation.  We have seen the group grew from a few guys to a bigger group by his grace.  Now, it is our desire to grow the group in width (more people in each of the small groups) and in depth (quality of discipleship).  As the pastor, I am called to lead them with faith and courage.  I urgently need Jesus Christ to strengthen my doubt and trust in his grace and power.