Matthew 14:34-36 – “When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.”  NKJV

I recall an elderly saint in a congregation I was serving as pastor calling for me to come and pray for her.  She was quite ill and as I arrived she reminded me of James 5 that the instruction for those who were sick in the church to call for the elders who were to pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord and that the prayer of faith would make the sick well.  So, as I began to pray I asked the Lord to “touch her” and she stopped me saying, “I don’t want just a touch I want healing.”  I understood her concern that my prayer might be less than a prayer of faith and I could be going through the motions doing my religious duty to come, visit and pray.  She had an expectation that if we followed the biblical directive she would receive the biblical promise.

That and other incidents have caused me to consider what it means to TOUCH JESUS and then have JESUS TOUCH US.  Here in Matthew, we find an event immediately after Jesus had “walked on the water” and allowed Peter to do the same.  As the arrived at Gennesaret people recognized Him and from all over the countryside they began to bring the sick to Him.  They did not just ask that He touch them but that they are allowed to TOUCH HIM and all who TOUCHED HIM were made perfectly well.

On that eventful night at my sister’s house in Palestine, Texas on a Saturday night when after reading Proverbs 3:5-6 I cried out in repentance.  It was then that JESUS TOUCHED ME and as the weight of sin was lifted from my being and the new birth became a reality I TOUCHED HIM.  I have learned that I TOUCH HIM with my commitment.  I TOUCH HIM with my faithfulness.  I TOUCH HIM as I reach out to others.  I TOUCH HIM as I allow the Holy Spirit to guide my footsteps.  Every time I reach out to TOUCH HIM, He TOUCHES ME and as His touch comes my burdens roll away.  No, they are not necessarily gone and no longer exist but as I TOUCH HIM and He TOUCHES ME they are rolled onto Him and I am able to take His yoke upon me and He enables me to carry them without being weighed down by them but knowing that I am not alone!        Many times, in my life, I have realized that I do not need to figure it out I need to TOUCH HIM. 

May the Lord be with you and enable you to have both the desire and determination to TOUCH HIM as you proceed through this day and as you REACH OUT TO TOUCH HIM, He will REACH OUT AND TOUCH YOU.  It is in His touch as is detailed in the gospel song, “Touching Jesus.”   The chorus:  “Touching Jesus is all that really matters, then your life will never be the same.  There is only one way to touch Him, just believe when you call on His name.”  

            God bless you!