Good Morning!
If you haven't read part 1 of my Luke 8 devotional, you can here . Yesterday when I wrote about the parables and what I have learned from Luke 8, it was only part of what the Lord made known to me. In an effort to save your eyes, I chose to split it into two parts. You're welcome! :)
As I read through Luke 8, another message the Lord wanted me to know was that of comfort, peace & a reminder to keep the faith. If you don't know, I have an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto Thyroiditis. It unfortunately has led me to develop Alopecia Areata, where I am beginning to lose my hair and have patches of baldness. I will link below the different blog posts I have written about the subject if you would like to know more about it. It has been very trying in dealing with these diseases as it has become more than just my hair falling out and missing. I am beginning to become more in tune with how my body is reacting to certain foods. I am listening to how my body feels. My hair falling out is a reaction to a much deeper issue. I have just started this journey into holistic healing which includes my faith, my diet, stress relief & herbs, teas & essential oils. Out of all of these things, my faith is the one in which will lead me through this.
If I did not have my faith in Jesus Christ to heal me, all of my pursuits to get this under control would be that much harder. All of the other things combined are great & are wonderful ways to heal my physical self. What good would all that be if I was always stressed and focused on that stress, effectively making those other things ineffective? Stress is the number one leading cause to many of our problems. Our bodies cannot function properly if it is constantly under stress. It is only through my faith in Jesus Christ that I can set my worries & stress aside, through prayer and petition, knowing God has me & I will come through this victorious.
With that said, I have 2 more verses in Luke 8 which spoke to me loud and clear. When I read this first verse, I was literally balling at the end. It was something that hit home & it was a reminder from Jesus to keep my faith strong in him.
Luke 8: 43-48 - "43. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44. She came up behind him & touched the edge of his cloak & immediately her bleeding stopped. 45. "Who Touched Me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding & pressing against you." 46. But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out of me." 47. Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling & fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him & how she had been instantly healed. 48. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
Y'all, I tell you right now, my eyes are tearing!! For someone who doesn't know the bible very well to read this, going through what I am going through, I know this was the Lord speaking to me. In my pursuit of the Lord & a holistic approach to find the answers to heal me, this was Jesus saying, "Daughter, your faith has healed you! Go in peace!" I'm getting goosebumps just talking about it. To me, Jesus is saying I am on my way to healing because I have faith in him. Do you know how comforting those words are to me? Right now, in this moment, where I feel I have a long way to go before I feel better - where uncertainties can plague me - I have the Lord saying because of my faith, I am already healed. That is so powerful. It gives me a renewed sense of hope & vigor to keep pushing forward on my quest for health & to share my story. His words are truly a nourishment to my soul.
This last verse I will cling to as a life vest. It is from Luke 8:50. It is when Jesus is going to heal Jairus's daughter, whom everyone thought was dead but - to Jesus - she was just sleeping. The verse reads, "50. Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid, just believe & she will be healed." Just those few words is enough to become my mantra for this entire journey. Don't be Afraid! Just Believe! You will be healed! That is my constant reminder every morning, every night & every time I begin to lose hope (because I am human and I know it is possible).
In reading through this chapter & taking a deeper meaning into these verses, I am developing a stronger love & appreciation for our Savior. In reading these over again & writing about what these words have done for me, my heart is beginning to swell and be overjoyed with my love for our Lord. I hope these verses will find you and help you as much as they have been helping me.
What verses have helped you in the past or continue to help you? Where do you draw your inspiration from? What are some of your favorite verses? Please share! I always love to hear your story.
Mahalo,
Brittany Bowman
