Morning Devotional
November  3, 2005
"Looking Up"      
    by Don Emmitte

And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors and still could find no cure. She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you." But Jesus told him, "No, someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me." When the woman realized that Jesus knew, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace." (Luke 8:43-48 NLT).

 

Years ago, a young sailor went to sea for the first time. Soon after their departure, his ship encountered a heavy storm and the sailor was commanded to go aloft and trim the sails. About three quarters of the way up, the young sailor made the mistake of looking down. The roll of the ship combined with the tossing of the waves made for a frightening experience. The young man started to lose his balance. At that moment, an older sailor underneath him shouted, "Look up, son! Look up!" The young sailor did as he said. He looked up and regained his balance.

Similarly, when our focus is on the circumstances that we face, the waves of life, we can easily lose our balance and our direction. But when we switch our focus on to the victory that the Lord has already provided. It is then that we will be able to maintain our stability, finish the assignments we've been given and get to the top! Are you feeling unstable today? Let's look up! There's no reason to look anywhere else. God has the victory already won! Do you have a need today, bigger then you can handle. God specializes in things thought impossible!

 

This woman in our reading today was in desperate need of healing. She had a disease, which caused her great discomfort and embarrassment. She was considered ritually unclean as far as the laws in Leviticus indicated. The law spelled out steps that had to be taken regarding contact with any woman during this time of the month, in which women we’re considered unclean. Well, this woman’s illness made her unclean for 12 years! The woman proceeds to touch the fringe of Jesus clothes. A faithful Jew wore a “fringe” or sacred tassel, and it was tied to each of the four corners of his cloak with a blue thread. The reason for this was for people to remember all the commandments of the lord. This woman felt if she could just touch the fringe of Jesus clothes, she would be healed.

 

This woman expressed great faith, in her great god, and realized he was her hope. Who or what are we putting our trust in today?