By: Pastor Jarren Rogers

“Faith doesn’t make sense. It makes miracles.” – Tony Evans

Have you ever asked for a sign?

I think that many Christians, at one time or another, have asked God for a sign – some way of knowing that He really existed, was really at work, and really cared about them.

Maybe God has given you that sign. Maybe He actually did prove Himself to you in one way or another. But, more often than not, we don’t receive the sign we request. We are forced to step out in faith, believing that God truly is in control.

I think about the woman with the issue of blood. In Mark 5, Jesus crossed over to the other side of the lake and a large crowd gathered around Him. A synagogue leader named Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet.

“My daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her that she will be healed and live,” said Jairus.

And so Jesus went.

On His way to Jairus’ house, a large crowd pressed in around Him. There was a woman there who had been bleeding for twelve years. She’d went to many different doctors and spent all that she had, only for her bleeding to get worse.

But she had heard about this man named Jesus, what He had done, and who He was. So, she fought through the crowd and struggled to reach Him. She caught flashes of Him between the mass of people. She tried to jumped to get a better look at where He was. She was jostled and elbowed as she waded through the crowd trying to get closer to Jesus.

Finally, she saw Him just up ahead but she could never reach Him. The throng was too dense. But she might just be able to touch Him. She was sure that just a touch of His cloak would heal her.

She extended her arm and reached her hand through the bodies of people in front of her. Her fingers grazed the soft fabric of Jesus’ coat.

And she was healed.

If only we had the faith of this woman. She didn’t need a sign, she didn’t even need to talk to Jesus. She had faith that she need only touch His cloak to be healed.

Too many times, our faith is bounded by what we see or experience. If we haven’t seen God at work, our faith begins to wane.

But what if, like the woman, we simply stretch out our arms and grasp Jesus’ cloak in faith that He has the power to provide in our situation?

This Advent season, let your faith grow in a God who sent His Son, Jesus, whose cloak is always there for us to touch through the madness of life.

Parents: Read your children this story in Mark 5. Ask them about the faith of the woman.