Verse of the Day "You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." [Luke 12:40 NIV]
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Jesus' hand is extended. It's our choice whether we intentionally reach for Him take it, or deny it.
Reach out to Jesus in faith
-Reach for Jesus: "She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."" [Luke 8:44-46 NIV].
Jesus knows whether or not we are intentionally seeking Him. Some may go to church every week and encounter Jesus, but they often don't take Him with them when they leave. Others may passively listen to and read Scripture without the intention of letting it plant a seed in their soul. (My purpose is not to ridicule or shame anybody who does this. Rather, I hope and pray that this encourages you to get serious about your relationship with Jesus.) On the contrary of the two previous examples, this woman carefully listened to and observed Jesus' teachings and miracles.
To provide a bit of backstory, this woman has been bleeding for about 12 years straight. It is said that she searched for various doctors, but none could heal her ailment. She was regarded as unclean because of Jewish law. So, it took a lot of might and confidence for her to rush into such a crowded area and reach for even the end of Jesus' cloak. She may have had thoughts and anxieties, like making those around her unclean, but she went anyway, because of faith. Jesus said to the woman that it was because of her faith that she was healed. In the same way, we shouldn't allow shame or falsehoods—like "my sin is too great" or "my past is too gruesome"— to discourage us from coming to Jesus. These sins may seem great, but the Lord is greater.
When pursuing God, we should do it with intention, remembering to have a humble and repentant heart. To repent means to "turn away from". We should turn away from sin and turn towards God. (As a child, I was really frustrated because I never knew what to repent meant, so I disregarded it, and I felt like I was missing something big!)
"It is not every contact with Christ that saves men; it is the arousing of yourself to come near to him, the determinate, the personal, resolute, believing touch of Jesus Christ which saves." (Spurgeon)
-Listen to and study carefully the word of God: "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." [Luke 8:15 NIV] "...he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." [Luke 8:8] "Therefore consider carefully how you listen. ..." [Luke 8:18 NIV] "And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe."[1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV]
