TENACIOUS HOPE

“For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well” – Mark 5:28

God’s Word illustrates the reality of TENACIOUS HOPE of the Bleeding: “For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well” (Mk.5:28). “FAITH is the SUBSTANCE of things HOPED for” (Heb.11:1a). FAITH substantiates HOPE. In the absence of Hope – Confident expectation of positive manifestation – there’s NOTHING for Faith to substantiate. Hope is the root for dealing with all bleeding Issues in life!

The subject of this story was a woman who had suffered from an unceasing flow of blood for twelve tortuous years! The infirmity defined her, hindered her, drained her finances, and sapped her life of its strength. Due to the demands of the Mosaic Law, she was treated as “unclean” and forced to stay away from family and others. This must have damaged her relationships, wounded her family, made her feel insignificant, and could have crushed her aspirations, dreams, and hopes. By the strict application of Mosaic Law, nobody could be around her and she couldn’t be around anyone, or else, she would have to pay with her life! Her suffering was not only physical, but mental and emotional. It’s the kind that pushes someone to the brink of a mental breakdown. Her life, her actions, her thoughts all revolved around her issue of blood!

What makes her story one of Triumph instead of defeat, is the fact that her desperation awakened her Hope, which fueled her Tenacity, which ignited her Touching Faith. It was crystal clear that she tenaciously wanted to be healed. She was willing to and had spent all of her material resources (v.26). She was willing to risk her life moving through a packed crowd, even in the condition of chronic menstrual hemorrhage that tortured her for years. She was willing to defy every obstacle in order to receive her healing and stop the bleeding. Although we are never told her name, she stands for all time as a model of how we can “stop the bleeding” from any chronic issue in life.

She wanted so desperately to be healed, she was willing to pay the price required. Jesus was healthy and walking; she was hemorrhaging and crawling, but she still got to Him. Jesus was surrounded by the crowd around Him; she was ostracized and despised – but still, she got to Him. Unlike in many other miracles in the Bible in which Jesus went to the recipients, in this case, Jesus was moving away from her. Still, she got to Him. She decided to get to Jesus, no matter what. She purposed to touch the Lord’s garment; did, and her expectation was met!

Deep in the heart of this woman was Tenacious Hope – Confident Expectation – more than a wish. There’s a difference between WISHING God would intervene and WANTING Him to. Wanting is far deeper. It requires greater personal investment. The disciples once asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast a demon out. He said, “this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mk.9:29). That is, “You must PAY the PRICE required for the thing you DESIRE and WANT”! The Expectation of HOPE in the woman’s HEART flowed to her TONGUE and became FAITH through her TOUCH: “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well” (v.28). Our words matter a lot (Pro.18:21).

What we say when we are “bleeding” from an issue has great influence on whether or not we see God stop the bleeding. Our Lord says: “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever SAYS this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS” (Mk.11: 23-24). We can trust God to stop the bleeding in all areas of our lives, as we say what He says about every “issue.” Rather than waste time saying what the circumstances are saying around us, we say what God says about the circumstances. Rather than say, “there is no hope”; we say, “with God all things are possible!” (Mt.19:26).