Understanding Faith Part 3

Life is about breakthroughs. It's about getting to the other side. It's about overcoming obstacles in our life that, in our eyes, seem too big to overcome. This is where faith comes in. In order for us to get to the other side and overcome any obstacle, small or large, we must understand the power of faith and how to use it.

There was a woman in the Bible who had an issue of blood for twelve years of her life. During her days having this issue, she sought after many doctors, and none could find a cure for this extreme condition. As she heard about Jesus and all the healings and miracles he had done throughout the land, she began to draw faith within herself that she could be healed by him. When she heard of Jesus' coming to an area, she planned her opportunity. Once the Lord came around there was a crowd of people flocking and surrounding him. Even though there was a crowd around Jesus, the woman was determined to reach Jesus. As Jesus and the crowd became closer, she spoke from the bottom of her heart and said, "if I can only touch his clothes, I will be whole." During this time the woman made herself available to pass through the crowd to become close to Jesus. As the woman reached out with full purpose and touched Jesus' clothes, immediately her blood was dried up and she was healed of her plague. "Who touched me?" Jesus said. Even though there was a large crowd following Jesus, her faith got his attention.  

In faith, it is important to understand we must use our voice first to declare what we believe. Before the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus' clothes, she spoke her belief. "If I can only touch his clothes, I WILL be whole," she said. Then she acted off her statement of belief by doing exactly what she knew in her heart. This was one hundred percent certainty in God's healing power to give her the desire within her. This is what we must do in our belief. Notice, God did nothing in this case. He did not speak. He did not pray for her.  The woman's faith was so strong it brought her close to Jesus and her touching him healed her -- instantly.

When we have faith in a desire that we have and trust in the Lord with all our heart knowing it will happen, it brings us close to Jesus so we can touch him, Just like the woman with the issue of blood.  This type of faith will make Jesus release what we believe is ours. She believed healing was hers and the Lord released it unknowingly according to her faith. As the Lord realized who had  touched him, he acknowledge the woman and said, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." The power of faith is so strong that God cannot stop it if activated.

You can change your life with faith, and whatever circumstance you may be going through, you can change it with the power of faith. The woman with the issue of blood is a prime example. In the story that we have learned, Jesus has not died on the cross yet. He had not rose from the dead yet. He had not left and sent the Holy Ghost to be with them, yet the woman was still made whole with her faith. This is because Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world like it says in Revelation 13:8. Everything we want and need was already settled by Jesus before the earth was made. This is why the woman with the issue of blood's faith worked to heal her without Jesus dying on the cross yet.  

When you begin to understand how faith works and all the miraculous things it can do in your life, you will begin to work and utilize it in every area you want to see growth and/or change in. Faith is that wonderful. It is that awesome. But working faith is not easy. This is why it must be exercised daily. When we exercise it, it will grow, just like any other muscle we have.

In the Bible in James 2:26 it says, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. God is telling us, if we do not exercise our faith it will die. Since faith must be worked and is essentially tied to us like a muscle, it must continuously be exercised. If it is not worked, or exercised, we will not obtain the wonderful things God has for us. Inactivity in anything that is designed to be active causes natural attrition, and our faith muscle is no different.

The woman with the issue of blood had faith she would be healed before she met Jesus, but her issue was incurable through humans. She had exhausted all her resources. Our faith can be shown when we have no other answers or recourse, but to depend on the Lord. Once she moved her total trust and faith into what Jesus could do in her life, the miracle took place. Jesus is waiting for you to touch him with your faith, not just be around in the crowd flocking to him because of who he is, but using your faith to touch him. Make your decision today and allow faith to change your life.