TOUCHING GOD 1
MEMORISE: And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:3
READ: Mark 5:25 -34
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
MESSAGE
Beloved, if God touches you, your life will never remain the same. The issue now is that God has millions of children; how are you sure that He will single you out and touch you in particular? Well. Whether God touches you or you touch God, the result is the same. If a wire carrying electricity drops on a person body or somebody mistakenly touches it, the result will be the same. Our God is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29). Whether He is the One who touches you or you touch Him, the result, will be the same. In the Bible reading for today, the woman with the issue of blood just touched the hem of Jesus' garment and the Lord said virtue had gone out of Him.
How do you touch God? You can touch Him by faith. In Matthew 8:5-13, the Bible tells us the story of a centurion who came to Jesus saying that he needed his servant to be healed. Jesus said He would come and heal him, but the centurion said He should just speaks word and he knew that his servant would be healed. Jesus said, "I have never seen this kind of faith before, no, not in Israel".
Some time ago, l got a letter from someone who said, "l have a series of problems. I am not asking that you come and pray for me, l am not booking an appointment ; l know that if you can just read my letter. I will get my miracles". I read the letter and said to the Lord: "Almighty God, You have to honour this faith". Two weeks later, l got another letter from the same fellow saying, "l know you read my letter because God has done it".
How strong is your faith? Can it touch God? If your faith is not strong enough to touch the Lord, then you need to study and hear the word of God more often. Romans 10:17 says:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Just keep consuming God's word, whether it is through the Bible, books or sermons of genuine men and women of God and you will see your faith grow so much that it will touch God and the impossible will become possible in your life.
PRAYER POINT
Father, help my faith to grow so much that it will touch You, in Jesus name
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 16-17
HYMN 12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1. My faith looks up to Thee,?Thou Lamb of Calvary,?Saviour divine!?Now hear me while I pray,?Take all my guilt away;?O let me from this day?Be wholly Thine.
2. May Thy rich grace impart?Strength to my fainting heart,?My zeal inspire;?As Thou hast died for me,?O may my love to Thee?Pure, warm, and changeless be,?A living fire.
3. While life’s dark maze | tread,?And griefs around me spread,?Be Thou my guide;?Bid darkness turn to day,?Wipe sorrow’s tears away,?Nor let me ever stray?From Thee aside.
4. When ends life’s transient dream,?When death’s cold, sullen stream?Shall o’er me roll, Blest Saviour, then in love,?Fear and distrust remove;?O bear me safe above,?A ransomed soul.
