The Woman of the Issue of Blood

There was a woman in the Bible whose name was unknown.

A woman with no identity, inconsequential and alone

A woman never identified by her name, but by her issue, isolated and clothed with shame, shunned and unloved. This condition only known as the issue of blood.

It was told she saw many physicians,

But instead of getting better, she was left in a worse position.

She suffered a great deal, by these people who were supposed to help her heal. And now she had nothing, A woman poor and suffering.

Many of us can relate, as we bleed spiritually, we suffer and experience pain and heart ache. And there are things that drain us, leaving us exhausted physically and mentally.

Depression steals our joy, worry steals our peace, anger steals our patience, rejection our identity. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Like this woman who suffered from many doctors while under their care, there are people we turn to in our despair. There are people we turn to for love, but leave us feeling rejected. There are people we turn to for hope, but leave us feeling more dejected. There are people we turn to console us, but only seek to abuse and control us. There are people we turn to for support, but tear us down leaving us wondering where did we fall short. There are people we turn to for advice, the wrong people who think life is a gamble and just throw the dice, leaving us led astray, finding ourselves even more lost, as we stumble to find our way.

These people think they can fix you, by telling you what you need to do, as they point out your flaws and criticize you. You fall deeper and deeper into depression lost and full of oppression.

The woman heard about Jesus, the one who can only truly heal us. At this point, He was her only hope, probably at the end of her rope. She thought to herself. if only I can just touch his robe, then I will be healed. So she pushed past through the crowd and because she believed, and did not yield, she did receive.

As Jesus felt the power drain out of Him, He stopped and asked, who touched me.

And the woman in fear, as she realized she could not go unnoticed, drew near as she became the focus. She fell to her knees, as she explained.

And His response after he listened to what she proclaimed was, "Daughter your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free from you suffering."

The first word he said was, "Daughter, that's what He called her."

As she left with the words of His comforting, she received a new identity. This was an encounter than changed her monumentally.

She became His child, no longer defiled or reviled. No longer alone, but known. A woman rejected by society, yet adopted into His family. A woman who had no worth, but His love gave birth to the realization that she was precious and that can compel to see that we can turn to Him because He is the key that sets us free.

Sometimes sorrow is the path that we have to take to lead us back to the one who will never forsake us, giving us hope for a better tomorrow.

Don't let the opinions of others hold you back. But keep moving forward and stay on track.

And just like the woman, who pushed past the crowd, to grab a hold of her Savior, and by faith received His favor. keep your eyes on the one above. let His love embrace you, because He will not disgrace you.