God can do the impossible...

 Luke 8:40-56       
          The woman had an issue of blood for twelve years. Some of us would have stopped trying to get help and just resigned ourselves to our fate. She had exhausted every means of help she was aware of - and her finances. She was not in a financial position to try anything else. Interesting, it was at this point that Jesus came to her rescue - when she reached the end of herself, when she could do no more. Couldn't He have come to her rescue  before? Couldn't God have done something before? Yes, He could have but maybe He was the last thing on her agenda. He allowed her to try everything else . . . and then Him. She had to reach to a state of hopelessness, of near death. She had to come the end of herself, her ability, her resources . . . and then and only then God could step in.
         Right after this encounter, comes another. A young girl is near death and actually dies as Jesus stops to address the woman with the flow of blood. Did Jesus have to stop? NO! As His disciples rightly said, many people were thronging Him so why ask who touched Him? He chose to stop to deal with this on His way to helping someone else. You see the two stories are connected. One person reached the end of herself, the other reached the end of her life. And yet in both instances, Jesus was the only One to resurrect them BOTH! If He could resurrect one and bring her back to life - because blood represents life and her bleeding had to stop so she could have life - He was well able to restore life in another context to one who actually lost it. God both gives life and restores it. However, both required faith! Before Jesus even got to the girl's house He was told not to bother because the girl had died. Jesus' response? "Do not be afraid, only believe, and she will be made well." (Luke 8:50) Her "life" depended on her parents' faith. It was not based on sight. The situation was what it was, she was dead. But GOD . . . ! Just as the woman had to stand on faith and
push her way through they had to stand on faith and trust Jesus to do the impossible. The situation was what it was, she was dead. But, they had to push their way through by faith.
          We all face "dead" situations as we traverse through life. It's inevitable. Our response to those situations, however, will always determine what the true end result will be. When I got the results of the last paper for my B.A. degree, I was sure I could not possibly graduate with first class honors. Yet, a voice whispered to me to just believe. That story of the little girl came to me and I stood on that. Of course you know the end result. I did graduate with first class honors and right there in the office where I collected my results I thanked Jesus for what He had done.
          As children of God, no "dead" situation is truly dead. We have the privilege to 'not be afraid, only believe . . . ' and our God, the God of the impossible will do just that . . . the impossible!
         

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