Opportunity—a favorable time or occasion
when we are in a position to make a decision
that could forever impact our lives.
Mark 5
A certain woman who had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 and had suffered many things under many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse,
27 when she had heard of Jesus, came up behind Him in the press of the crowd and touched His garment;
28 for she said, “If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole.”
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned about in the press of the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31 And His disciples said unto Him, “Thou seest the multitude thronging Thee, and sayest Thou, ‘Who touched Me?’”
32 And He looked round about to see her who had done this thing.
33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done in her, came and fell down before Him and told Him all the truth.
34 And He said unto her, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
For 12 years she bore the emotional and psychological baggage of being unclean and untouchable.
She could offer no hugs or kisses to her family.
She could not be a wife.
She could not be a mom.
She could not prepare food for her family.
She could not expose herself in public.
She had spent all her money on remedies that did not work.
She was literally a guinea pig for Doctors who did not know how to help her.
She basically lived in isolation for 12 years.
144 months
624 weeks
Weak from continual bleeding.
Hurt by their whispering's…
Ashamed at the looks and stares of others.
Depressed and dejected.
Desperate and alone.
No more money.
No answers.
She had heard them talking on the edge of town
of a man who could heal diseases.
But she could not ask anyone to bring him to her.
She had no favor among the people.
She had no money to offer.
She only had a need.
So she did what most people would not have done in her condition…
She went looking for him! Right out in to the public!
As far as she knew she had ONE MORE OPTION!
Desperation drove her to seek out Jesus among
the throngs of people.
Can’t you just see her now leaving her house covered with layers of clothing to her ankles and wrists trying not to be recognized?
Looking for a crowd of people…
Looking for a man she’d never met before…
Looking desperately for one more chance to a healing-
one more chance at a normal life.
It wasn’t hard to find them.
Hundreds of people
All of them calling out for his attention.
Many appearing to be sick and in need.
This was not going to be an easy task for her though
There were so many people.
She just started pushing.
And she pushed her way right into the midst of the crowd,
nearly losing her balance and falling.
She pressed her way into the man everyone was hurdled around…
literally bumping into the shoulders and elbows of people and touching them when she knew she could be caught and carried away for such an act…
yet she pressed in.
She promised herself she would not bother him by explaining…
She’d simply get close enough to touch his garment
and be on her way.
And she did just that.
She reached her hand through the arms of those surrounding him and managed with the tips of her fingers
to touch him for just a few seconds…
just a piece of his garment.
She let go and turned to walk away.
But He knew.
This was different-
Not just a casual bump from someone in the crowd.
He knew immediately that someone touched him who had made serious efforts to find him, because virtue left his body.
He turned and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
The woman stopped. She held her breath. Her heart raced. Perhaps this would be a far more embarrassing moment than she had ever experienced. She knew this could mean nothing less than being humiliated or rebuked openly in public.
She turned around slowly, raised her head and looked in the eyes of Jesus and said, “I touched you”
He didn’t need to hear her story
He saw her desperation
He felt her faith
He answered. “Woman, thy faith hath made thee whole.
The plague has left your body.”
The word Desperate comes from the Latin word meaning “despair.”
Reckless or violent because of despair, driven to take any risk.
Undertaken as a last resort.
Nearly hopeless, critical, grave.
That woman was desperate!
Desperation will make you do things you never would have otherwise!
In first Samuel chapter one we read of a woman called Hannah who went before God to pray for a child because she was barren, and the Bible tells us that the way she poured her soul before God made Eli (the priest) to think that she was drunk.
1 Samuel 1:11-16 (AMP)
11 She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; no razor shall touch his head.
12 And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli noticed her mouth.
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
Maybe you know that kind of prayer.
The one where there are no words. Your hurt is so deep, the need is so desperate that all you can seem to do is weep.
Almost uncontrollably.
14 Eli said to her, How long will you be intoxicated? Put wine away from you.
15 But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord.
16 Regard not your handmaid as a wicked woman; for out of my great complaint and bitter provocation I have been speaking.
Hannah was a desperate woman.
The desire in her heart was deep
It drove her to do something drastic.
Have you ever been in a spiritual drought and needed rain?
Have you ever been in a storm and needed a calm?
Have you ever been in the rain and needed a shelter?
Have you ever been faced with tough decisions and needed answers?
Have you ever been backed in a corner and needed an escape?
If you have, or when you do, will you remember this…
You have One More Option!
For every situation you come up against where you just feel hopeless…will you remember this:
You have One More Option!!
Make your way to Jesus!
Make the effort to find him!
Push your way there!
Crawl if you have to!
Get desperate enough to not care what everyone else thinks…
And go find him!
There is one thing desperate people will not do…
they will not give up!