- The Christmas story shows God’s willingness to be involved in our lives in a very real, personal, transforming way.
- God’s goodness invades our world when we exercise faith in Him.
Mark 5:7 (NLT), . . . Why are you interfering with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
Luke 8:40 (NLT), . . . Crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for Him.
Mark 5:25-34 (NLT), 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” 31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?” 32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
EMBRACING GOD’S GOODNESS
- No one goes unnoticed by Christ when acting in faith.
Luke 8:46 (NLT), But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.”
- Most people in the crowd were oblivious to the tremendous power available to redeem, restore, and heal. When we pray, we must believe that God is good, able, and willing to redeem and restore our lives.
2. Christ has more than enough power to meet everyone’s needs.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT), So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT), The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him . . .
Ephesians 3:20 (NLT), Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
3. Faith enables us to see God’s goodness and activity in our lives.
2 Corinthians 5:7, For we live by faith, not by sight.
Romans 8:28 (NLT), And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Hebrews 11:6 (MSG), It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.