“And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she thought, ‘If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.’ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my garments?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, “Who touched me?”’ And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” – Mark 5:21-35

There comes a time when the things you used to do or even still do to make you feel better will not relieve your troubles anymore. But what if I told you that the Spirit of God has the power to help you manage, if not, eliminate those troubles? Miracles can happen in the middle of things you thought were impossible to defeat.

In the start of Mark 5:25, Matthew 9:20 and/or Luke 8:43 Jesus was on His way to Jairus’ house to help him with his dying daughter when He was interrupted by the woman with the issue of blood. Her problem was an internal problem, just like feelings. Nobody can see what you’re feeling. Nobody can see what dominates and depresses you. Are there any areas of your life where you’re bleeding that no one can see? Where are you hurting that no one really knows about? An example might be hurting in a financial way but then the fact that you can’t even provide for your family makes you feel worthless and even worse about being broke…that’s when being broke becomes an internal problem.

Have you done something to make yourself feel better but later come to find out it actually made you feel worse? Have you ever ate something (comfort food) to make you feel better and felt better for about 5 minutes, but then hours later that same thing that made you feel better then is causing you to have an upset stomach or giving you really bad gas now? Are we giving our energy to things that promise to make it better but in the end make us feel worse?

This woman had her issue for so long that her issue became her name and her identity. Have you been called grumpy, an addict, a drunk, anxious, depressed, or even been told that it’s in your genetics for so long that you now identify with it as just who you are? Let me tell you something: these things you identify yourself with haven’t met Jesus yet. There’s also a flipside to how people identify you; along with your issues, people identify you with your achievements as well, making you feel like you have a lot to live up to, which puts tremendous pressure on you.  Don’t listen to people when they label you by your failures or accomplishments. That’s not all that you are. Be aware as well as empowered to know that feelings follow thoughts, and depending on the thought you entertain can make you or break you.

Do you define yourself by your emotions, your status, your lowest point or your highest point? There’s a bleeding on the inside of you if your sense of self worth is based on what you do and what you go through. You’re not going to get better just by going to Bible study. You have to put yourself in the promises of God and words of truth with some effort. Maybe instead of waiting for a touch from God, it’s time to reach out to God first with worship, praise, and gratitude. It’s time to show some determination and equip yourself with the armor of God, along with His promises.

What stopped the woman’s bleeding? The bleeding stopped because she thought. After touching Jesus’ garment, she was instantly healed. You can stop it with a thought. I am not my issue. It starts with a thought. Thoughts are optional. You can choose which thoughts you entertain.

Jesus didn’t call her “woman with the issue of blood,” he called her “daughter.” Apparently, this is the only time that Jesus used the word daughter to describe a woman. When Jesus was on his way to heal Jairus’ daughter, there was another daughter who forgot she was a daughter of God. When she heard from Jesus about who she was, it freed her from her shame and it can free you too. Being a child of God is an amazing thing. It has the ability to free you and heal you from the thoughts that enslave you.