Matthew 9:18-26

18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”

19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

I’m sure you ladies understand how frustrating it is when you spend valuable time painting 10 fingernails and 10 toes and the polish begins to chip off in a day or two! Personally, I strongly dislike seeing bare nail exposed, so in an effort to keep my nails beautiful a little while longer, I pull out the bottle of polish and lightly touch the broken areas with the brush.

The woman with the issue of blood wanted the same thing from Jesus: just a touch to heal her broken body. She believed if she could just brush against the hem of His robe, her health would be restored.

The good news is: through the power of the Holy Spirit I too am able to reach out and touch my Savior’s robe to be healed physically, emotionally or spiritually!!! In fact, He wants me to keep seeking Him -and asking.

Matthew 7:7-11

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Does that mean that everything I ask for will be answered with a “daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well?” Not necessarily, because I may not always ask with the right motivation.

James 4:3-10

3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

4 You adulterers![a] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?[b] 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud
but favors the humble.”[c]

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

BUT, when I humble myself before Him, as this woman did, and my will matches His will and my faith meets His promises, He WILL paint the areas that are broken with vivid color, restoring them to their intended beauty.

Isaiah 61

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
  to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
 and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.[a]

2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
 that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,[b]
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

3 To all who mourn in Israel,[c]
 he will give a crown of beauty for ashes…..