Good Morning!

Thanking you God, for your beautiful mercy..

  Did you get a chance to read the Beatitudes?  If not, I pray you will… they will comfort and refresh your heart :)

Matthew 5 1-12

Dear Heavenly Father, I love You!

Thank you for Your constant comfort and hope in my life…No matter what is going on you are my rock and refuge… my place of safety, and I so dwell on that truth…I can’t imagine how desperate I would feel, if my comfort was in myself or my own understanding…

How I praise and need You.

As we come before you today, Lord, thank you for your cleansing power in our  lives, and for your great forgiveness and hope.  Please open our hearts and minds as we seek to give you more of our hearts, and live a life of beauty in Your eyes..

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Can you imagine the moment Jesus stopped?

There she lay… healed!  The crowd rushing by her, it’s noisy, dirt and dust flying from everyone’s feet…

Her heart pounding, thoughts racing…

This image so takes me back every time. As, I put myself in this sweet woman’s place, I feel like, Him stopping, was the last thing she expected..

He not only stopped, He called her out!

The Bible says that Jesus was on His way to heal a dying girl. To me that is huge!  I guess that’s why, in my heart, I am so struck by Him stopping. He must have been in a hurry.  He had some place to be, and to me, someplace pretty important. He was on His way to heal a dying girl.  Somewhere in the back of my head, I had heard someone say, and  Maybe, you have too,  that God has way more important things to do then deal with my problems.  It’s funny how things we have “heard” about God can cause us to just expect the worst, right?!

Why did He stop?  In the middle of that huge crowd, anyone could have touched Him!

But He did stop..

And that surprised me more than I can express!  I feel like the moment He stopped, she must have been scared  to death!  I thought, without a doubt,  He was going to be mad.. I wonder if she thought that too?  Shame, fear, rejection… felt so normal..

He definitely wasn’t mad..

In Fact;

He was very aware of her pain, He knew the exact moment she reached out and touched Him, because the moment she touched Him..

“His power was released..”

Mark 5:30

How amazing is that?  She reached out. He released His power… no explanation.. no reasoning!

What are you going through in your heart and life that may have you exhausted!  You have reasoned, explained, rationalized all of the scenarios out in your head a million times?

Maybe you too are fearful, tired, and don’t know what to expect.

All she did was reach out..

All you have to do is reach out!

In our brokenness, in our pain, and uncertainty… He is on our side..

When Jesus stopped, He made a ginormous statement to all of those watching.

Jairus, whose daughter was dying,  the disciples, who were in a hurry, the crowd that was pressing in, and most importantly to this sweet woman who was in so much pain…

As I see it, He didn’t want her to just disappear. To think that maybe it was an accident that He healed her.  He didn’t want her to question whether or not she deserved it. He didn’t want the crowd to be able to gossip later about her. He showed the disciples, yet again, He was there for people who needed Him, not those who think they can help themselves… who think they don’t need God.

Dear Father, How I thank you that I don’t have to do my life alone..I know I need You and I want You in every bit of my being..

Matthew 9:12

“…Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…I desire mercy not sacrifice.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners..”

Oh, Lord, I am a sinner, and I thank you for your beautiful mercy..

 He most definitely didn’t want her to carry all of those feelings of fear, sadness… hopelessness, or regret any longer!

He wanted her to know He sees her, and He cares deeply for her

And with all of that said;

He sees YOU, and He cares deeply for YOU

Today, bask in the truth that God sees You, loves you, adores you.. He is your Heavenly Father that protects, comforts and hides you under His wing.

Psalm 91: 1-2

Yes, we fail.  Yes, we sin.  Yes we (most of the time ) don’t know what we are doing..

This sweet, alone woman, certainly didn’t know what she was doing.  She “selfishly” sought after him, even though she was thought to be “unclean”,  and being around others could have jeopardized their relationship with God.. That didn’t stop her!

She needed Him

I need Him…

Take refuge in the fact that you matter to God.  We have a God who stops to listen.

It is a beautiful truth that we can always, no matter what time, day or night, go to God..

People can’t be there for us 24 hours a day, people will let us down.. we are not perfect.

But God’s love is perfect;

He is always near, and always fighting for our heart!

He could have kept going, He did not have to stop.  He didn’t.  And He doesn’t today!

Will you let God in?

Dear Heavenly Father, Wow!  You amaze me every single day.  Today I am struck by your kindness.  That you are never too busy for me.  You took the time to stop for this sweet woman, in the middle of a crowd, on Your way to heal a dying girl… Oh, Lord, you stopped and You listened, and You loved.

I give you my day, my heart and my life.  How I ask you, Father, to help me to be in constant communication with you throughout my day. To know that You are near because you want to be.. because You are my redeemer and friend!

I love you so much,

In Jesus Name,

Amen

If and when you have a few minutes, look up these scriptures

Proverbs 3:5, Psalm 32:5 and Psalm 91:1-2

You will be blessed…

I love you,

Lisa

Live in Love :)