May it please Almighty God to
bless us this morning as we consider His Holy Word. Let's turn to
the Gospel of Luke, the 8th chapter, and we'll read verse 48. The
Gospel of Luke, chapter 8, and we'll read verse 48. And he said
unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort, Thy faith hath made
the whole go in peace. The Word of God is really very
comprehensive and it covers everything really that you and I need to
know and it covers very many different characters and different
cases and different situations. And we read some of those in
part of the eighth chapter here this morning. And what we observe
is the power of God. You see, God is able to do that
which you and I cannot do. And yet, how wonderful it is
to realize that God reigns still today in exactly the same way
as he did all those years ago. When the various accounts are
recorded in the Bible, the Old and New Testament, God has not
changed, but he is still as great and as powerful as those accounts
give us to understand. And it's good if you and I, therefore,
recognize that we do come, we do have the same God today. That same God who is merciful,
is gracious, is long-suffering, and does still do great things
for his people. And of course the greatest things
that can be done really is with regards to the work of God in
our souls. We have recorded very many accounts
of natural blessing and we can align these also with spiritual
blessing because they demonstrate, they give us a picture of the
great work of Almighty God. And as we realise how powerful
and wonderful God is, recognize he hasn't changed and may that
encourage us because God knows the path that he has ordained
for us each one of us it's a different path we all have to walk a path
ordained by God And although sometimes there's similarities,
and it's good also when we can trace out our experience, we
might say our testimony, with the saints of God that have gone
before, and therefore to be encouraged by it. Well, we have this account
this morning of this woman. We're not told her name, but
we're told she was a woman who'd had a problem for 12 years and
she'd endeavoured to heal by various visits to physicians
and there'd be no benefit, no effect. She was still in the
same state. Well, we see then she was given
that faith to join with the crowd that had come to see Jesus and
to observe the many wonderful things that he did and said. And so we're told what she did. She came, came behind Jesus. She wasn't perhaps brave enough
to come face to face, but she was able to come behind and she
didn't grab him by the arm or anything like that. We're told
what she did. She just touched the border or
the edge of his garment. We can see how she had that faith
given to just stretch out her hand and just touch the edge
of his garment. Faith to believe that by just
doing that, that could, if it was his will, heal her. And what we're told is that As
soon as she touched the Lord, immediately, she was healed. What a wonderful evidence of
the power of God. Yeah, she'd been brought to that
place where she was, we might say at her wit's end, she'd done
all that she could, had gone to physicians to heal herself
and been unsuccessful. And now, she came to the saviour. In the midst of a great crowd,
didn't put her off. She pressed through the crowd,
behind the saviour, was able to put out a hand and just touch
his garment. Well, it's good to have a simple
illustration and a simple picture like that for us today. You see, we don't have to produce
any wonderful scene in our own lives and to think, well, that
was a great and glorious preparation and now I'm sure I'm going to
be blessed. It was a very simple act of faith. We might think, doesn't say so,
but we might think that she was in a desperate need and perhaps
it was our last hope. And so what a wonderful thing
it was. And we recognize then the Lord
knew. The Lord knew. The Lord does
know when he blesses. The Lord knows when he will bless
and how he blesses. And what a wonderful thing it
is. And therefore, Jesus asked the question, who touched me? Who touched me? Well, they all
denied. And Peter said, Master, the multitude
throng thee, and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched
me? And Jesus' response was, Somebody
hath touched me, for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. The Lord knew that he had blessed
this woman. No one else knew. But you see,
there was that clear position. The woman had been healed and
she knew what had happened. And then there was this question
of what was the result? It's good sometimes to observe
the result. And when the woman saw that she
was not hid, sometimes people don't like to divulge what God's
done for them well here this woman was finding herself in
a position that she couldn't hide herself she was there and
how did she then respond? well it's a good illustration
she didn't come with a proud attitude She came trembling,
trembling. Okay, and it's good when you
and I come to our God trembling, because perhaps of what he's
done, because of his great mercy, because
of his great love, she came trembling and falling down before him.
What did she do then? What did she do? She didn't remain
silent, no, but she declared unto him, unto the Lord, before
all the people, for what cause she had touched him and how she
was healed immediately. What was that response? That
response was very clearly to bring honour and glory to God. What a blessing in our life if
God has blessed us and therefore we haven't been able to not say
anything. We might come trembling, we will
come trembling. And she fell down before the
Lord, bowed down before Him, and declared before Him and all
the people, what's the benefit of that? The benefit is to give
honour and glory to God. and how necessary it is now this
woman here had this natural requirement to be healed but all of us have
a spiritual need a spiritual requirement to be healed and
it may be it may be perhaps that we've prayed for a long time
that we might be healed that God might have mercy upon us,
that he might forgive us of our sins, and there's apparently
been no progress, apparently been no answer. Well, perhaps
we've been looking for an answer in the wrong way. Perhaps we've
been expecting some great deliverance. Well, this woman was granted
a wonderful deliverance, but there was no outward evidence
of anything greatly occurring. But it had an effect. And that's
the secret really. God's work, God's work in our
soul has an effect. and what a blessing that is for
you and me if we can see and realise that
God has looked upon us as God has perhaps given us that face
to pray humbly believing and come to our God and spoken to
our God and told him that we believe He can do that for us
which we couldn't do for ourselves. Nobody can take away their sin. Nobody can cleanse them from
all the evil which exists in our heart by nature. But we have
a God who is able to do far more exceedingly abundantly than we
can ask or even think. And the Lord has a perfect time
for this. He had a perfect time for this
woman. There she'd been struggling for
12 years. Perhaps sometimes We may struggle
for many years, praying that God will look upon us, praying
that God will have mercy upon us. And we may have looked here
and looked there. We may have perhaps gone and
heard ministers preach and we think, oh, well, he's a good
minister. I'm bound to get some blessing there and nothing's
happened. Nothing's happened. You see, the Lord has a time,
a set time, His time to bless us. And when that time comes, we will
know the effect of it in our own heart. The effect of it in
our own heart. And really the effect is this.
we become a new creature. What's happened? The light from
heaven has shone into our hearts. And what a blessing that is.
There we were before, in darkness, we'd struggled on. No effect. Until, as the hymn writer
says, the appointed time rolled on apace, not to propose, but
to call by grace. What a wonderful thing is, when
God then calls to us, and there's a response. There's a response
from our heart. This woman had joined the crowd.
She pressed through the crowd. And it's good, isn't it, when
God gives us grace to press on. Not to give up, this woman could
have given up, but no, she pressed on, she stretched out her hand,
just touched the hem of his garment, and that was enough. And that
was enough. Healing virtue flowed from the
Saviour into her. And it's exactly the same today
in a spiritual way. When God gives us that faith
to stretch out our hand, to touch the Saviour, and to plead for
His favour. for His mercy. And the Lord deals
with us in love to our soul. And we know that there's been
a blessing. This woman knew. She touched
the border of his garment and immediately the issue of her
blood staunched. Immediately there was a change. And immediately there is, in
our spiritual lives, there is a change. Because it's been darkness
and the light shone. And when the light from heaven
shines into our soul, there's a change. What a wonderful blessing
it is. What a wonderful favour it is. And you see, here she came then,
trembling and falling down before God. She didn't come and say,
well, of course, I'm a very important person. I expect a blessing. You know, we come to God less
than the least. We come to God explaining exactly,
we might say, as we are. We have an account in Matthew's
gospel of the centurion who needed the Lord. And the centurion answered
and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the
word only. That's the 8th chapter and the
8th verse. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy
that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only,
and my servant shall be healed. And you know, the Lord Jesus
spoke of this person like this. He said, very I say unto you,
I've not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. What a blessing, isn't it? When
God gives you and me faith, to believe. Faith to come to the
Saviour, praying that he will look upon us and have mercy upon
us, because the response to this woman by the Saviour was very
wonderful. Daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace. Because when God comes and touches our heart,
then you see there is that peace. That peace perhaps we may have
felt we should never hear the good news of the gospel. but what a blessing when the
appointed time rolls on a pace not to propose but to call by
grace. God's time. God's time. And God works in an amazing way. What a wonderful God we have.
And he works in that way which brings honour and glory to himself."
This woman couldn't say, well, of course, I was a worthy case. The centurion couldn't say that
he was a worthy case. And you and I won't be able to
say that we are a worthy case. It's often good to remember what
the Apostle Paul said, the eminent servant of God, that man wonderfully
blessed. What was his position? As he
bowed down before God and said he was less than the least of
all saints. What a good thing it is when God brings us to that humble position when
we feel just like that. And then we stand amazed, don't
we? That God should look upon one who is less than the least
of all saints. All God's people are amazed at
his love and mercy. That's why John Newton wrote
that beautiful hymn amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved
a wretch like me. Newton couldn't claim anything,
could he? But he could claim that God had mercy upon him. And that really is the secret,
isn't it? to know that God has mercy upon
us. God looks upon us. And so how
wonderful that the Lord looked upon this woman and said unto
her, Daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee God-given
faith. It was her faith, but it was
faith that God had given to her. And that's the same with you
and me today. God gives us faith, faith to
believe. And so this woman had faith to
come to the Lord Jesus Christ and she came behind him, yes,
but she just wanted to touch his garment. And God gave her
that faith. to do just that. No one was able
to observe it. No one was able to observe it.
No one knew that she'd done it. She didn't march up to Jesus,
face on and demand her a blessing. No, you see, the Lord worked
in this great and glorious way so that he received the honour
and glory from this woman. And this woman recognised that
she could not be hid. You may be surprised sometimes,
but you see, the effect of God's grace in our hearts
does something which is evident to a believer. Not evident perhaps to the world,
Maybe sometimes, but it is evident to believers. We recognize there's been a change. We recognize that God has had
mercy. And so this woman realized she
couldn't be hidden, it was obvious. And therefore she came to Jesus. She trembled. She came and she
told what had happened and why she touched him and how she was
healed immediately. It was a great evidence of the
sovereign grace of God. what a blessing my friends for
you and me today to know that we come to the same God who is
able and willing to do for us these great and wonderful blessings
but you see this woman had 12 years long time wasn't it with
no healing perhaps we've been a long time
Perhaps we've had a wrong attitude. Perhaps we've expected God to
come to us thinking we're worthy. Well, we have to have all that
removed so that we come to Jesus. As the Inviter says, I came to
Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad. It may be perhaps worn out worn out in
our own way because we seem to receive no answer well the Lord
has his timing to touch our hearts he has his timing to bless our
souls he has his timing to shine light into our hearts and what
a blessing that is And here are the encouraging words. Daughter,
be of good comfort. Good comfort. Thy faith hath
made thee whole. What a mercy, isn't it? When
God gives you and me faith to believe. Faith to believe. What a mercy. What a mercy to
come to Jesus. Here this woman was. She came,
didn't she, to Jesus. Well, the encouraging words of
the Saviour also tell us to come to Him. You know, so often we
kind of go the opposite way and don't come to Jesus as we should. And yet, you see, the Lord Jesus
says, come unto Me. not anyone else don't look to
other people come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn
of me for I am low in heart and ye shall find rest unto your
souls well there's a great rest It's a rest which resides in
the Saviour. And how comfortable is that rest? There's been an amazing change.
Then we were restless. Couldn't find any rest. And yet
when God gives us faith, to come to him, gives us faith to commit
our way unto him. What a wonderful blessing it
is. And really this account is very interesting because it reads
about this man Jairus. And this man Jairus, who was
a root of the synagogue, he fell down at Jesus' feet and besought
him that he would come into his house. Well, He told Jesus about
his daughter. You would think that Jesus would
perhaps stop and go immediately. But no. There was this other
need. There was this other woman. This
other woman who came and interrupted that perhaps which Jesus was
doing and perhaps what the Jairus wanted to happen. But nonetheless,
the Lord did. appear in his time and if you
look at the account which follows you see with Jairus God's power
was to be clearly set forth and therefore this had to occur with
this woman perhaps to just delay things a bit so that then they
came from the synagogue's house and told her that the daughter
is dead don't trouble the master but here was another evident
situation where Jesus was able to come and display his power. And what a wonderful thing it
is when we see how God's plans work out in a far better way
than our plans. How often, you know, we perhaps
think in our lives, well, if God did this, This would bring
honour and glory to his name. Well, it might do so. But the problem is, in these
things, as I've often said to you, the problem is that often,
if the Lord works to our programme, we would be expecting some acknowledgement
in what we'd done. Well we must remember that God
is a jealous God and he will have the honour and the glory
and he won't allow you and me to take honour and glory to ourselves. We won't be able to say well
of course it was my prayer or I prayed in a special way or
I expected and did this We have to give all the glory to God. All the glory to God. This woman
came and she fell down before God. She came trembling and declared
what God had done. What God had done. What a good
thing that is, isn't it? For you and me to look into. our hearts. There's a wonderful
pattern, isn't there, in the Word of God. And sometimes we're
too sinful, really, to observe God's kind and gracious pattern. But in our right mind, we desire
God to have all the honour and all the glory. And wonderful,
isn't it, when it's worked out that way, so that we are as nothing. and we have to give and we want
to give and that willingly the honour and glory to God and we
can testify it was and is His work and His work alone. What a mercy then to see God
dealing with us graciously isn't it? And why is it? Love to our soul. when you look into your hearts
and see how unworthy you are of any notice and to think that
God has looked down from heaven and it's amazing just to consider
that that there's billions of people on this earth at any one
time it's been earth's been running for thousands of years and yet
God in his amazing love has looked down upon you and me and the appointed time has come
in our lives when he's called us, spoken to us, delivered us
from our wrong aspirations, delivered us from our plans, enabled us
to come like this woman, trembling and falling down before God. We come and say, great is the
Lord. Yes, great is our God. How faithful
is our God. How amazing is his love. How great is his grace. And he looked upon and unworthy
sinner, because we'd all come there as unworthy sinners. We'd all fall down before God
and bow down and worship. What a good thing it is, you
see, when, like this woman, she saw that she was not hid,
she had to come She had to testify of what had happened. It's a good thing, isn't it?
When God enables you and me, in our lives, to testify of what
God has done for our souls. Because that brings honour and
glory to our God. And the work of the Spirit in
our souls, like this woman, makes us willing in the day of his
power to testify of his work in our souls so that his name
is honoured and glorified. And what does it bring? It brings
peace in our hearts. Peace we may have been restless,
tossed to and fro, but now by the grace of God we have peace. Peace with God. which passeth
all understanding. Well, this is a very simple account,
isn't it? It's a lovely little account
to meditate upon in this eighth chapter of Luke. There's many
cases, we didn't read them all. Of course, it started off in
the first beginning of the sower, where the sower went forth to
sow. But again, what a mercy, thinking of that. If the good
seed of the gospel has come into our hearts, because God has prepared
our hearts to be on that good ground and receive his word. There's been many times when
it's fallen upon stony ground or we've been choked with all
the cares of this world, but there comes a time, if we are
the children of God, when our heart is prepared, we're on that
good ground, and the seed falls in and germinates and grows and
bears fruit. What a blessing then to realize
we have a kind and gracious God who does these things for us.
Well, remember then the encouraging words of Jesus to this woman. And he said unto her, daughter,
be of good comfort, thy faith, God-given faith, hath made thee
whole, go in peace. Amen.