Press Your Way Through

Have you ever been at a place in your life or possibly your walk with God where it seems like you need a breakthrough in a certain situation? Possibly you are dealing with feelings of hurt or rejection. Maybe you have been told you are not good enough or smart enough. Maybe you have been told that inspite of your dreams, you will never make it. The reality is that often time life can be challenging, but it’s what we do in the midst of those challenges, those moments of hurt and pain and frustrations that often determines our outcome.

There is a beautiful story found in Luke 8: 43-48, of a woman the Bible described as “having an issue of blood”. Given her physical condition , one can only imagine what she was feeling. First of all according to the custom of the day she was to be placed outside of the city and anyone who had contact with here was deemed unclean. Can you imagine that for a second? If she was married, her husband could not walk with her, hold her hand or be of comfort to her. If she had children she could not love  and nurture them as a mother should. Beside the physical pain of “having this issue of blood” , she now has to deal with the emotional pain of rejection. As a matter of fact the custom dictated that if she came into the confines of the city and her condition was found out she would have been stoned to death. She was an emotional outcast and a social outcast. And to make matters worse the Bible says she spent all that she had on physicians trying to find help and relief from her “issue” and instead of getting better her “issue” got worse.

Have you ever been there? When you are faced with  an “issue” and you try to fix it and sometimes go to someone to fix it, but instead of getting better it gets worse. But on a fateful day Jesus comes to her town and undoubtedly she heard of this man who was able to heal those that are sick and minister to the needs of those without hope and here is where it gets interesting. This woman knowing her condition, knowing that if she is found takes or makes a bold statement of faith and joins the mob who was pressing to hear and be ministered to by Jesus. This woman knew it would not be an easy task but she made up in her mind that the only Person who can help her was this Jesus of Galilee and she pressed her way through the crowd and the only thing she could hold on to was that if she could just touch the hem of his garment then she would be whole. In other words if I can just make a connection with Jesus whatever I am going through, He will make it alright.

The story ends with this woman touching Jesus and the Bible says immediately and I like that description, immediately her “issue” was removed. What then is the lesson for today? We all have challenges or issues that come upon us in life. Some are of no fault of our own but some we created on our own. But no matter what those issues are there is One who can remove them and grant a peace and a wholeness that only He can give if like that woman we are willing to press through in faith in prayer, because like that woman if you are willing to throw caution to the skeptics and the naysayers and press your way through, your life will never be the same. Press your way through.

God Bless!!