FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Sunday, September 07, 2008,3:27 p.m.
THE POWER IS HIS
I've been reading the gospel of Mark lately. I often find the gospels difficult to get through from beginning to end, and I think it's because of their sheer familiarity. Fresh revelation must be sought harder when reading them - at least this is my own experience.
But today as I was reading about Jesus and his healing of people, I read this verse:
It struck me that it was not the fringe of His garment that healed them, it was actually His own power. And yet, how many times do we read in the scriptures Jesus' words as He says to someone, "Go in peace, your faith has made you well"?
The garment's hem is immaterial - it is only the means by which Jesus chose to allow someone to be healed. The power of God is imperative. And it seems that faith is also imperative. After all, people wouldn't have been flocking to Jesus for healing if they didn't on some level believe that He might actually be able to heal them.
It occurs to me that anointing oil is only a means by which the Lord may choose to heal - He is the healer. The music is only the means by which we worship - it is our hearts that execute praise. The things we do to serve are only the means by which we serve - it is the character of the servant that is pleasing to God.
So many times we erroseously focus on what we have physically done that has worked in the past, or what we have seen others do, or how we have been taught to do things. It is still God's power that executes miracles. We have only to believe.
But today as I was reading about Jesus and his healing of people, I read this verse:
"And wherever He came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick
in the marketplaces and implored Him that they might touch even
the fringe of His garment. And as many as touched it were made well."
(Mark 6:56)
It struck me that it was not the fringe of His garment that healed them, it was actually His own power. And yet, how many times do we read in the scriptures Jesus' words as He says to someone, "Go in peace, your faith has made you well"?
The garment's hem is immaterial - it is only the means by which Jesus chose to allow someone to be healed. The power of God is imperative. And it seems that faith is also imperative. After all, people wouldn't have been flocking to Jesus for healing if they didn't on some level believe that He might actually be able to heal them.
It occurs to me that anointing oil is only a means by which the Lord may choose to heal - He is the healer. The music is only the means by which we worship - it is our hearts that execute praise. The things we do to serve are only the means by which we serve - it is the character of the servant that is pleasing to God.
So many times we erroseously focus on what we have physically done that has worked in the past, or what we have seen others do, or how we have been taught to do things. It is still God's power that executes miracles. We have only to believe.
