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If I Only
Andrea Lende • August 28, 2021
Matthew 9:21-22
If I Only
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/If-I-Only-e16jbc6
Matthew 9:21-22
“For she kept saying to herself, If I only touch His garment, I shall be restored to health.”
“Jesus turned around and, seeing her, He said, Take courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well. And at once the woman was restored to health.”
We know the story of the woman who suffered from a blood flow disease very well.
Her faith was exemplary.
Her thoughts were extraordinary.
“For she kept saying to herself, If I only touch His garment, I shall be restored to health.”
The words, “If I only”
keep rolling around in my head.
They are powerful words.
Especially when they are followed up with an idea that is life changing.
This woman’s commitment to her idea changed her life.
Almost secretly she followed through on her idea.
She quietly touched the robe of Jesus fully believing she would be healed.
And she was!
It was amazing, really.
If it were only so easy, right?
It may not be easy, but maybe it is just that simple.
Will we fail if we are one hundred percent committed?
Maybe, but the odds are certainly in our favor.
I need to ponder this idea of “If I only”
and see where it can be applied in my life.
Jesus told this woman two things.
First, He said, “Take courage.”
I believe we need courage to be as committed to something as she was.
Second, He told her that her faith made her well.
Her belief in His ability and her plan resulted in the blessing she was committed to receiving.
Well, Jesus is still as powerful today as He was when He walked this earth.
It has never left Him.
I can see I need to have more faith in Jesus’ ability to do Mighty things today just as He did two thousand years ago.
So, today I choose to believe Jesus is just as accessible and powerful in my life as He was in the woman’s who received her healing. I also choose to take on her level of commitment to things that truly matter in my life.
May you find Jesus is able to give you your miracle and your commitment to receiving it is strengthened.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me more about belief and commitment in Your Word. Thank You for showing me You are ready and fully able to grant me the desires of my heart. Father, increase my faith in You. Increase my belief that all things are possible in Your Name. And increase my commitment to do the things You have asked me to do. Help me be fully committed and not half-hearted about anything You have planned for my life. Strengthen me in every way and impart more courage in my heart and mind, so I am able to carry out Your will. Lord, I pray You make all things ready as I step into Your will for my life. May Your joy fill my soul as I serve You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM making all things ready for you My child and My Spirit is within you to help you do all I ask.
Response: I am yours, Lord, help me serve You well.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.