Do you know someone who is an extravagant believer? I mean someone who holds back nothing as they expect God’s hand in their lives. I don’t mean someone who is foolish, but someone who knows that God can accomplish what we can never do on our own. Are you such a person?
The Bible has lots of stories about people who believed extraordinarily. There were those around them who believed … sort of, but these people believed in ways that seemed extreme. One such story is in Luke 8:43-48.
I want you to put yourself in the story – in the crowd. There was a huge throng of people following Jesus as He walked through the street. He had no body guards as He walked with His disciples. The crowd was pushing and shoving, trying to get closer. They wanted to get a good look at this unusual man, who was becoming famous.
Suddenly, Jesus turned and said, “Who touched Me?”
His disciples were confused. “What do you mean? The whole crowd is pushing up against you.”
Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I felt the power going out of Me.” And He turned and looked at the woman who was touching the hem of His garment.
In the crowd, there was a woman who had been sick for a very long time. She had a hemorrhage of blood which had lasted for 12 years. She had spent all of her money going to doctors, and no one had been able to cure her. In fact, the Bible says that she had just grown worse.
Yet that day, when she saw Jesus, she was inspired. She had heard about Him and she thought, If I can just touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made well. And that’s exactly what happened. When she touched Him, the flow of blood stopped, and just like that, she was well.
Jesus then said something very different from our mindset. He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
Let this picture sink in. Jesus didn’t even know that the woman was there until He felt the power go out of Him. Her faith had put a demand on the power within Him, and she received her healing.
Let’s fast forward to today. Our Savior is alive today. There is a crowd of people all around us, some believing in Him and some not – just like when He walked the earth. Within the crowd of “believers,” there are a few – maybe just one or two, who really believe. They are the ones who see His hand in their lives more than the norm. They are the extraordinary believers, and they see things happen that the others don’t.
So how do you fit in? Are you willing to believe for miracles in your life? In your health? In your family? In your finances? Don’t look around at the crowd. They probably aren’t believing that much.
If you would like to be extraordinary, but think that you just honestly can’t muster the faith, don’t be discouraged. Start reading the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and let the reality of Jesus be burned in your heart. He is looking for super believers to show Himself strong.
I want to be an extravagant believer, don’t you?
Forever Upward!
