made.good.again

A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath

10On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." 13Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

14Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."

15The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"

17When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

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We may not be crippled physically, but many of us are crippled emotionally / spiritually - largely due to past experiences, upbringing…

Six things about being a beautiful woman of God that we can learn from the crippled woman:

1. A beautiful woman positions herself well - i.e in the presence of her Lover. God has created us with a desire to be loved, to have affection and approval. However when we start seeking these things first, we end up a desolate woman, just searching everywhere for these desires to be fulfilled. Instead we need to be positioned to hear the gentle whispers of our Lover, Jesus. Want a satisfying love from Jesus? Guard our time with Him, guard that date with Him. The crippled woman went exactly where Jesus was, where she knew she would meet Him, hear Him, have Him meet her deepest needs.

2. A beautiful woman acknowledges her disabilities/wound. We need not be ashamed to name the jealousy/bitterness/insecurities that are making us void. They result in us becoming emasculating / domineering / distant / wary / untrusting toward others. Rather, we need to identify them and allow God to work to free us from them.

3. A beautiful woman steps forward toward Jesus - rendering herself vulnerable before God and man. We need to be honest and transparent with God, and good trusted friends.

4. A beautiful woman allows Jesus to heal her.

5. A beautiful woman knows her identity. We are daughters of the King. We have been cleansed from the past, present and future wrongs, forgiven, made whole, made new - that is the finished work of Christ. Our Creator says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made - Psalm 131.

6. A beautiful woman stands upright, confident, overflowing in praise of her God. We are women of destiny, fashioned for greatness, princess warriors. Women rested in our souls.

                                             ~ Sarah Koh, VIC Easter Camp 2006.

              Journeying On…….