TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Luke 8:47
Read: Luke 8:43-47
Listen: Luke 8
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The woman only wanted to be healed from her chronic disease. The last thing she wanted was to be noticed. To accomplish both, she reaches from behind Jesus and touches just the edge of his garment. As the crowd continues to press in on Jesus, the woman is miraculously healed. She knows it, and so does Jesus. So much so that even though the crowd is body-to-body in the narrow street, Jesus stops and wants to know who “touched” him. Eventually identifying her in the crush of the crowd, she is brought to Jesus and tells her remarkable story. It’s a place she probably never expected to be and a difficult and embarrassing story. But it’s a story Jesus wants the crowd to hear. He wants them to know he has healed her.
Our story of what Jesus has done for us can also be difficult to tell. The story of Jesus’s healing and transforming work in our lives can have awkward and uncomfortable parts we’d rather ignore. We leave them unsaid or phrase them to make us look better and the story more acceptable. But the story we are most reluctant to share may be the one that most needs to be heard. As we tell our stories, even the difficult parts, we focus on Jesus and highlight his goodness and compassion in our lives.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Think through the places in your life where you’ve experienced Jesus’s transforming, healing power at work. Journal a few sentences about what was happening, how God met you in the situation and where you are today as a result. Then pray for opportunities to share your story as a testimony of God’s power and goodness.
2023 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Join us all of 2023 developing a different spiritual practice each month. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES are intentional regular activities to deepen our relationship with God and mold us to be more like Jesus.
May is SECRECY. Keep track of our spiritual practices at beyondtheweekend.org/spiritualpractices.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
