God is working!

Pushing past the fear, fighting to believe
He is making waves for me
He won’t let me down, never ever leave
He’s still making ways for me
(Excerpt from “God Will Work It Out” by Maverick City Music)
         God is working! Many times, that seems so hard to believe because you are not seeing anything happening, nothing seems to have changed, yet ... God is working!
          I have chosen not to move from the song “God Will Work It Out” by Maverick City Music. The second set of verses begins with a reality we all face at some time or another – FEAR. I imagine that the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years faced fear (Luke 9:43-48). According to Jewish law, her blood discharge made her unclean and anything she touched as well as anyone who touched her was considered unclean (Leviticus 15:25-27). Therefore, she was not exactly someone anyone wanted to be around. Yet, she heard Jesus was coming. She had also heard about His reputation, the fact that He had healed the sick and was delivering those bound by demonic spirits. So, of course, she wanted the chance to see what He could do for her. 
          But, she faced a problem – she was unclean and could not and should not be out and about in public for fear of making anyone else unclean. Although the Bible doesn’t say it, I imagine she left home sufficiently covered so that no one would recognize her. Then, she faced another challenge – there would be crowds of people thronging Jesus making it difficult for her to reach Him. Let’s face it, this woman faced various challenges that could have easily made her decide to not even bother to try. Yet, she did. She made her way to him. In my mind, I see her pushing past the fear of rejection by the people, pushing past the fear of rejection by Jesus Himself. After all, she had battled with this problem for twelve years! Could He possibly really help her? What if she made Him unclean as well? The Bible doesn’t say so but, in my mind, I see a woman fighting the fear of rejection, fighting the fear that maybe she would not be able to reach Him through the thick crowd to get help, that maybe she would not even be healed ... Yet, she pushed past all of those fears. All she wanted was just one touch, not of Him, but of His clothes and she probably hoped and prayed that that would be sufficient. She did not approach Him from in front where she could possibly speak with Him and ask for His help but from behind, where He would never know, where no one would ever know. That was her plan ... but God had a greater one. 
          Jesus asked the question: “Who touched me?” It was a strange question to ask knowing that so many people were touching Him. But, Jesus wasn’t trying to embarrass her. God knew what she had been through, what she had to push past just to reach out to Him. She received her physical healing, but I believe Jesus may have also been trying to restore her socially, emotionally, psychologically. She was getting healing all round – in her body, in her mind, in her emotions, among her friends and neighbours. You see, she was His child. He wasn’t going to let her down when she needed Him, He was not going to abandon her in her situation either. God was interested in doing a complete work in her! She probably wasn’t anyone special. We don’t know her name or her background, we just know her as the woman with the issue of blood. But, God knew her. He knew her name, her background, her heart. 
          And, it’s the same with us. We may not be significant in anyone else’s eyes, but in God’s eyes we are special, we are worth the effort and the trouble. After all, Jesus came all the way to earth, exchanged His heavenly, glorious body for our debase earthly one and then on top of all of that, chose to die in our stead so that we would not have to face the punishment we deserve because of sin. 
          God will never ever leave you, He will never ever let you down. Sometimes, things don’t always work out the way we would like, but it’s only because God has something so much better for us. I don’t know what you are going through right now. Maybe, your situation is similar to the woman with the issue of blood. Maybe, you are dealing with the fear of rejection, the fear of never ever being able to be free from your situation. I am sure the woman faced the same fear, after all, twelve years is a long time and some of you have been going through your situation for so much more. But, I want to encourage someone today, no matter how long it takes, no matter how hopeless it seems, God is working. He will work it out for you. It’s really about trust, trusting that God will not leave you where you are, trusting that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s hard, it’s discouraging... But, that woman, when she saw the opportunity, pushed past every fear that might have been trying to hold her back from getting her healing. Jesus was her opportunity and she held on to the hope that He would do what no one else had been able to do for her for twelve long years! 
          Jesus is your opportunity. It may be taking a long time but just know, He IS working, He will never leave you, abandon you or give up on you. He is making a way for you even though you can’t see it. So, if you can’t remember anything else just remember this one thing – God is working! He has not taken a break, He is not off on vacation. God. Is. Working. He WILL work it out!
          If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I truly encourage you to do so now. God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). He has promised never to leave or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5b). He has promised to hold your right hand and help you (Isaiah 41:13). God is working! God will work it out! 

---