HOW LONG?
“And a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.” (Mark 5:25-26)
This passage contains a dramatic picture of the effect of a long term illness. The woman’s physical condition represents the spiritual condition of many. The nature of her condition was debilitating. It affected her entire life. In a very real sense life ebbed away and she grew weaker and weaker.
Do you have a spiritual malady that is draining the life out of you. Is there a sin in your life that has been allowed to linger so long, possibly for years, that it has slowly and methodically dismantled your fellowship with Christ and your effectiveness for Him?
Some people think that they can allow a particular sin to remain in their lives with little or no adverse effect. This is defective thinking, and it underestimates the very nature of sin. Sin is never static. It is always in the process of taking a person down to spiritual defeat and death. “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23
The woman in the story before us represents the deteriorating nature of sin. “She had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse” (v.26). The duration of her condition led to the deterioration of her condition. And what was true of her in the physical realm will be true of you and me in the spiritual realm.
One of the greatest heart aches to me as a pastor is to watch people discover and even admit the sin that is ensnaring them and then do nothing about it. What is the sin that is producing the spiritual deterioration and death in your life? How long do you intend to allow that sin to remain?
Can there be deliverance from the sin that so easily besets you? Yes! The source of deliverance is also found in this woman. In verse 27 we see three verbs that describe the action she took. Freedom from her malady was found in hearing about Jesus and coming to Jesus, and reaching out and touching Jesus. Hearing, believing and receiving is the answer.
New life is available to you today. Why wait? Dr. Roger D. Willmore will be sharing God’s Word this summer at America’s Keswick. He’d love to meet you. Check out the schedule at www.americaskeswick.org Today's devotional is from our book, REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE. For information about purchasing a copy, call today: 732-350-1187.
Compass Pointers: No matter how good the walls and the materials are; if the foundations are not strong, the building will not stand. By and by, in some upper room, a crack will appear; and men will say: "There is the crack; but the cause is the foundation." So if, in youth, you lay the foundation of your character wrongly, the penalty will be sure to follow. The crack may be far down in old age, but somewhere it will certainly appear. Henry Ward Beecher
Anchored to the Rock: The men upon whose shoulders rested the initial responsibility of Christianizing the world came to Jesus with one supreme request. They did not say, “Lord, teach us to preach”; “Lord, teach us to do miracles”, or “Lord, teach us to be wise” … but they said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” – Billy Graham
No comments:
Post a Comment