Luke 6:19 And
the people all tried to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and
healing them all.
No matter where He went, people
crowded around Jesus. He was constantly mobbed with all sorts of people who
were suffering from a multitude of diseases, illnesses, and sicknesses. His
fame as a healer had spread around the Galilean region, so He was in great
demand by people who needed His help the most. As He walked from town to town,
the locals clamored around Him, begging Him for a miracle for themselves, their
loved ones, and their friends. They even clawed at Him, believing that if they
could just touch Him, they would be instantly healed.
Sometimes I wonder if Jesus felt
overwhelmed by all of this attention. He probably did, because we are also told
from scripture that He sought isolated places to be in prayer with God.
Popularity enabled Him to speak and preach to the masses, but it also had its
negative side – that of being too much in demand, never meeting enough needs,
and hardly getting any peace to Himself.
Today, we can approach Jesus through
prayer, allowing His Spirit to touch our weary and sick souls. We don’t have to
wait until He passes by, or fight past crowds of other people. We can speak
directly to Him and He will hear our pleas and prayers. In the midst of our too
busy and burdened lives, we can still find consolation and peace, comfort and
strength in Christ. All that we need to do is find a quiet place where we can
focus on Jesus and allow His Presence to touch our spirits and His power to
refresh our lives.
Question:
When was the last time I found a quiet place to pray to Jesus? When will I make
time for that to re-occur?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all need You
constantly. We all have worries and concerns, issues and troubles that
frequently overwhelm, over-tire, and over burden us. Enable us to seek You
prayerfully in a quiet place where we can talk to You openly, freely, and
securely. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian
Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment, ask
questions, or give feedback about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Scarlet Winter.” If you would
like to view a larger version, please click this link: Scarlet.
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