“[The woman] suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors, and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse" (Mark 5:26).
Oh Lord, Our Compassionate Father in Heaven, You are loving Savior, mighty God, merciful healer. You see all our pain, our suffering, our disabilities, our difficulties.
You show us in Your word, this story of a woman—nameless and without rank in a vast and surging crowd—invisible to all but You. We are drawn into the details of her pain—the exhaustive search for a cure, the financial strain, the hopelessness, the despair. "She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors, and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse" (Mark 5:26).
But with faith surging in tandem with the surging crowd, she cast herself on the mercy of the One she had heard about, the One who was her only hope. "When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed” (vs. 27-28).
And not only did You remain true to Your promise, Lord, "whoever comes to Me I will never drive away" (John 6:37), but You distinguished her touch, her plea for help even in the midst of the pressing crowd. Because from of old, O God, You show Yourself as El Roi, "the God who sees me" (Genesis 16:13). And what some might call the reckless abandon of someone with nothing left to lose, You commended as faith, and healed her.
Thank You for Your great mercy and love, Lord! Thank You for the hope and encouragement it provides for those who have "suffered a great deal;" who are on a difficult health or medical journey that is exhausting, and overwhelming, and frightening. Fill them today with Your peace, Your hope, Your comfort. Let them know with certainty that You are El Roi, that You see the pain, the weariness, the debilitating anxiety.
Increase their faith, Father, when the journey is too much for them, and touch their spirit with Your healing power. Heal mind, body, soul, psyche, emotions. We know that You choose to heal sometimes through the miracle of Your divine touch, and other times through the miracle of medicine.
Thank You for the vast body of medical knowledge available in our world today—for the advances in technology, equipment, processes, treatments, and cures. Thank You for the doctors, nurses, and other clinicians, the technicians, the support staff at every level, and all the administrative staff who work together to provide us with health care and services.
But even when medical advances are not enough, and healing doesn't come in the way we want, You are still God. Teach us to trust You when the road is long, and the going is rough. And when we are overwhelmed and think that the journey is too much, help us to hear Your tender voice reminding us, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
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