Faithbase

Ashes to Beauty, Day 10, The Beans, or The Background. We've made it to Day 10. Today we'll hear one final story of Jesus' healing power. The Verse, Luke Chapter 13, Verses 10-13. On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and 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. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, Woman, you are set free from your infirmity. Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. The Theme. What does this mean to me and how can I apply it to my life today? One thing that struck me immediately about this story of healing was the fact that this woman didn't even ask to be healed. My study Bible shares some context about this story, and from that we know Satan was actively at work in this woman's life and had been for some time. Satan was causing major problems for this poor woman, had been for years in fact, yet she didn't even realize it. She couldn't call out for help because she couldn't recognize where she was struggling. I can't help but think about myself and how I allow Satan to play games with my mind to cause trouble and issues in my life and how I too fail to even see the problem many times. I can't cry out for help or mercy because Satan is so tricky, so conniving that I fail to even recognize the fact that I need help. Out of nowhere, I'll be angry. I'll allow past situations to replay in my mind, bringing out those emotions of anger, hurt, and betrayal all over again. This causes me to approach my day completely differently, all because I've allowed myself to be led astray. Without even being asked for help, Jesus heals this woman. He places his hands on her and says, be free. What a beautiful image. In moments where I need Jesus, moments where I can't even put my finger on what the problem is, he reaches out to me, places his hands on my shoulders, and says, you are set free. In the rush of the morning routine, you are set free. As you wrestle through arguments with teenagers, you are set free. As you feel overworked and underappreciated, you are set free. When you're an emotional wreck and have no idea why, you are set free. Take the time to pause when life gets stressful, to ask Jesus to lay his hands on your shoulders and whisper this truth to your soul.