TOUCHING GOD

*a late post

from my_sarisari_store.typepad.com

This picture always reminds me of how ancient people flooded the places where Jesus was during His ministry on earth, as recorded in the New Testament.

“That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases…” Mark 1:32-34 (NIV)

“For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.” Mark 3:10 (NIV)

The sick, the poor, those who's hope left is only God, came rushing towards Jesus.

How about now? We can't see Jesus roaming around so we can run to Him to touch Him and be healed. Yet, if a tangible touch isn't possible today, perhaps we can just touch His heart.

If there's healing by merely touching His cloak, how much more if we touch his heart?

I believe that if God puts value to a faith of someone who perseveres despite of the raging crowd just to seek his healing, He cherishes it more if a person simply puts his faith on Him despite of a seemingly impossible situation.

Every time we seek Him amidst the darkness we face, every time we go through the “crowd” of obstacles in life, and still trust Him-- God is worshipped. And every time God is truly worshipped, He is touched.

“A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, “if I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

“At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched me?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, “Who touched me?”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:24-34 (NIV)

People, until now, are desperate for “God”— and our act of desperation comes in many ways. We long for miracles, we hope for the impossible. It’s in the tiniest cry of our hearts. Therefore, we want to get in touch with a higher power—or God. Many will try to touch Him, but few are felt. For when God asked, "Who touched me?" I believe it was more than a physical contact but a connection in spirit. If in touching the edge of his cloak, people in the past received physical healing. We have this hope that right now, wherever we are, by touching His heart through worship, we can receive healing in our wounded hearts and bruised souls.--- something we truly long.

“People brought all their sick to him, and begged him to let the sick just touch in the edge of His cloak, and all who touched Him were healed.” Matthew 14:35-36 (NIV)