His Garment Hem

I reached out and touched His garment hem
as I came into the midst of them:
the midst of those who knew Him well.
I thought that if I could only touch
the mere garment of the man who loved so much,
I would be healed before the dusty linen fell.
I thought He wouldn't notice me,
and I reached from where He couldn't see,
but somehow He must have felt my need.
That same hour my stricken body was healed
and the emptiness within my heart was filled
as from my pain and suffering I was freed.
For He turned and looked upon my face
though many were about the place,
and He spoke with words directly to my soul.
He said for me to be comforted
and with promising words, He kindly said,
"Thy faith hath made thee whole."
-Matt. 9:20-22

These few short verses tell us so much about Christ's love for us, His concern for our needs, and His promise of salvation. In them we see that Christ is always aware of our suffering and responds when we reach out to Him. Just as the woman was healed, not by her actions, but by her faith, we are saved from sin by God's grace, through faith and not by our works and deeds. The woman stepped out on faith and reached out to Jesus, finding compassion, comfort, and so much more.

Are we depending upon our own strengths, actions, and intelligence, or are we reaching out to Jesus?

From July 30, 1985