February 14, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"She was healed immediately." — Luke 8:47 · KJV

One of the most touching and instructive of the Savior's miracles is before us tonight. The woman was very ignorant. She imagined that power came out of Christ by a kind of necessity, without His knowledge or direct will. She was also a stranger to the generosity of His character, or she would not have come up behind to steal the cure He was so ready to bestow. Misery should always place itself right in the face of mercy. Had she known the love of Jesus' heart, she would have said, "I have only to put myself where He can see me; His omniscience will teach Him my case, and His love will at once work my cure." We admire her faith, but we marvel at her ignorance. After she had obtained the cure, she rejoiced with trembling: glad that the divine power had worked a wonder in her, yet afraid that Christ might take back the blessing and cancel the gift of His grace. How little she understood the fullness of His love! We do not see Him as clearly as we could wish; we do not know the heights and depths of His love; but we know for certain that He is too good to withdraw from a trembling soul the gift it has been able to obtain. But here is the marvel: little as her knowledge was, her faith, because it was real faith, saved her, and saved her at once. There was no tedious delay — faith's miracle was instantaneous. If we have faith as a grain of mustard seed, salvation is our present and eternal possession. If we are written in the list of the Lord's children as the feeblest of the family, yet, being heirs through faith, no power, human or devilish, can eject us from salvation. If we dare not lean our head on His bosom with John, yet if we can venture into the press behind Him and touch the hem of His garment, we are made whole. Courage, timid one! Your faith has saved you; go in peace. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God."