When he was at table with them, he took the bread. He blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him!(Luke 24:13-35)

Monday, September 12, 2011

Jesus' Healing Touch

Prayer for the Day

Reflection

Having faith in God will help us in life to answer our prayers, comfort us in times of need, and help us celebrate in times of joyfulness. But what is the real meaning of faith, and why is it necessary to have a strong faith in our lives?

“Of mercy and judgment I will sing; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.”  (Psalms 101:1)

This psalm gives us direction to help us find our faith in God.  In order to find and strengthen our faith, we must be loving and make good choices and judgments. Without this, our song of faith would not be full of melodious and beautiful sounds. Instead, it would be lacking in the right pitch or tune.

In the end, the trust that we have placed in God depends on the strength of our faith that we have in him. In the Gospel of Luke (7:11-17), Jesus performed one of his many miracles in bringing the dead to life.  This is a very powerful Gospel to those who are mourning the death of a loved one.  It illustrates Jesus’ comforting touch to the woman who had just lost her only son. It’s just short of a year since my brother Bob passed into his reward.   Jesus’ healing touch in Luke’s Gospel comforts me to know that, with a strong faith, I am confident that Bob continues to walk with me every day.  In fact, I think of him often and sometimes ask for his intercession when I’m having a particularly frustrating day. 

We can bring the “healing touch” of Jesus to others through our witness of our faith in Him.  I have experienced this first-hand on many occasions; I’m sure you have, too.  How many times have you cheered up someone who was “down”, by simply listening to and praying with them?  Lots of times, I bet.  It’s just that we don’t recognize Jesus working through us in this way most of the time.   

Faith is an important aspect of life that not only helps us get past the hardships that we all endure, but also lets us celebrate the beautiful lives that we live. A question to ask ourselves is, “Do we truly have faith in God and what can we do to strengthen our faith?”

No comments: