Thy Faith hath made thee Whole...the Wayfarer 2/10/13

2/10/13
Thy faith hath made thee Whole

“And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace”

(Luke 8:48)

Today, our message is about the necessity of true faith and the absolute power of prayer when given with the expectation of an answer.

I will use several scripture passages to illustrate the point of this particular message beginning with the opening verse. This particular passage finds a woman who had a severe physical problem that had obviously plagued her for quite some time. Twelve years she searched for help turning to all that were available to her at the time. She had expended every bit of her possessions in pursuit of a cure, but to no avail. 

At this time Jesus was accompanying Jarius, a ruler of the synagogue to his home since he had also sought out help for his dying daughter.

As was usual with our Savior, while in any city, there was a crowd gathered around him as he made his way through the street, pressing from all sides just to get a look at this miracle worker of which they had heard. This press of the crowd made it difficult to distinguish just who was where and what they were doing.

Jesus felt someone touch the hem of his robe through all the other touching going on and immediately asked who had done this.

Everyone denied having touched him, and Peter even asked how he could possibly ask amid all the tumult of the crowd.

“And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.”

(Luke 8:46)

At this point, the woman admitted that it had been her that had touched him, and witnessed to all who were gathered there that she had been healed simply by this touch. This is what brought us to the opening verse.

Jesus told her that it was her FAITH that healed her. She not only was there because she was curious to see this man she had heard of, but she believed that she could be healed if only she could get close enough just to touch him.

Jesus then was again interrupted in his progress toward Jarius’ house by a messenger who came to give the news that Jarius’ daughter was already dead, and telling him not to bother the Lord any farther.

Jesus in turn reacted to the messenger and Jarius with the following:

“But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not:  believe only, and she shall be made whole”

(Luke 8:50)

They then progressed to Jarius’ house to find the household in mourning and certain that the girl was lost to them forever. NOT SO! Jesus raised her from death telling her parents not to tell everyone else of what was done to spare them the ridicule of unbelievers.

Take note to the command given to fear not and believe only! If only all who profess Christianity were this this faithful and believing today!

Next, let us go to the Old Testament to the book of Isaiah the 38^th chapter:

Here we find Hezekiah, one of God’s servants who had been faithful throughout the years sick to the point of dying. He called the prophet to him and the prophet told him that the Lord said to get his affairs in order because he was most certainly going to die:

“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live”

(Isaiah 38: 1)

Naturally Hezekiah was disheartened and severely disturbed by this. He could have reacted by giving up and simply awaiting death; he could have attended to his will and made arrangements for his own burial; he could have railed at the injustice of it all and made complaint to all around.  He chose instead to PRAY!

Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,

And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.”

(Isaiah 38: 2 & 3)

Hezekiah not only turned to prayer, he did so with a contrite heart in the knowledge that God had been with him throughout his life guiding his steps and knew who he was, and of his service to Him. He didn’t ask God for more time, or even any comfort while awaiting the certainty of death: He asked only that God remember and be pleased with his life to that point and was accepting of God’s will for him!

God, in turn heard that simple and heartfelt prayer, saw the sincerity in it, and Sent Isaiah back to tell him that the prayer had been heard and that unfinished business would be allowed to be accomplished yet again:

“Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah saying,

Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city”

(Isaiah 38:3-6)

As we progress farther into this scripture we once again find a miracle predicted and given in the turning back of time by ten degrees of the sun dial as a sign that God would honor the promise made. Further still we find the promise honored and Hezekiah giving credit where it was due to the Lord of hosts.

FAITH in ACTION!

Hezekiah, like the woman with the blood issue, like Jarius had faith.

When David faced Goliath it was faith that directed his shot from the sling to its target. This was the same faith that sustained him throughout his monarchy  and allowed  him to be a fruitful and good ruler for his people despite the weaknesses that we also know from the scriptures that he faced.

It was through faith that Solomon received the wisdom he requested and was an even better ruler for that people.

It was Faith that allowed Solomon to build the temple.

Farther back, it was Noah’s faith that guided him to build an ark despite the laughter and criticism of his entire society.

It was Abraham’s faith that precluded the sacrifice of his son and allowed the use of a ram instead.

Faith allowed Sampson to slay a lion, be a great and mighty soldier killing so very many with the only weapon at hand, a simple jawbone of an ass that was handy.

That same faith allowed him to pull down the pillars to which he was chained and kill his enemies after his utter betrayal by the woman he loved so dearly.

The examples could continue on and on, with Daniel in the lion’s den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the furnace, and Joshua at Jericho ad infinitum!

The point I attempt to make here is that each hero that we meet in the pages of scripture had a common thread to cling to…faith. Each was up to the task given them because of this faith.

This same faith was shown by Stephen as he was martyred, and by Paul and by so many others throughout the New Testament as well as the old.

It is this faith that we need in our time to face the tasks given us, and the problems that face us daily as well.

Jesus promised us throughout the gospels that what we ask of the Father is ours for the asking, if asked for in faith believing. John 14 tells us:

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the son.”

(John 14:13)

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you , ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be  done unto you”

(John 15:7)

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them

(Mark 11:24)

All of the examples given, and so many more I could also give have the same requirement…FAITH!!!

I could continue to write for days and include a huge selection of scripture to continue to illustrate the point I make here today. Instead I choose to conclude with a few questions.

Where is the faith today?
   Is the promise that we will be heard still available?

Will we always have an answer to our prayers?

My answers to these questions come rapidly for the reader. The faith is in the believer! It is strengthened only through prayer and studious application of the scripture…. That requires reading the scripture.

 You may be surprised at the answers found there .....before the question is even asked!

Miracles do still exist, happen daily and often go unnoticed by the majority of us who are more concerned with the every day happenings within our lives that manifest themselves on TV or local gossip. Miracles will be seldom if ever found in those things.

I have seen many such occurrences over the years, and give thanks and glory to God for each of them. Again, all have had a common thread…Faith!

I challenge all those who profess belief in my Lord to exercise that faith on a daily basis, build It continually, rely on it constantly and exhibit it for all to see conspicuously.

If we do so, then, and only then, will we reach the reachable, teach the teachable and lead the souls, that would otherwise be lost forever, to that same faith and belief in our Lord.

If we fail to exhibit that true faith of what we profess to believe, we will never make a difference in this field so ripe for the harvest!

I close with the same love of this simple sinner, saved by grace, as always, with love for all, in the full knowledge that my salvation comes only through the faith in my Lord and his ability to forgive and intercede for me at the judgment throne having already paid the price for my redemption, and yours as well, if you only ASK.

2 Timothy 1:12

¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer