ESOCS Devotional 13 September 2026 – Desperate Faith
MEMORY VERSE: “But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Matt. 9:22 KJV).
TEXT: MATTHEW 9:18 – 26
While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
23 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
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How wonderful it is that God responds to faith! This woman’s faith in Christ emerged from desperation, as her internal bleeding persisted for 12 years and only worsened (v. 26). What must it have been like to be in her situation? Her condition made it illegal for her to be in a public place for fear of contaminating others. Leviticus 15:25 states, “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.” She could never enter the Temple, synagogue, or fellowship with others. Her affliction barred her from the social structure of the time. Mark further tells us she had spent all her money on doctors (Mark 5:26), and now she was desperate for relief from the ongoing bleeding. This poor woman had exhausted her finances, and she probably hadn’t slept in a bed for some time; after all, what hotel would accept her in her condition? What friend would allow her to stay at their house? Everything she touched was ceremonially unclean.
How scared she must have been as she mingled with the crowd trying to reach Jesus, hoping not to be seen or recognized. The thought crossed her mind that if she could get close enough to Jesus and touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed. Mark tells us that in her desperation and faith, she pushed through the crowd to grasp the tassels of His prayer garment. When she touched one of the tassels, she was instantly healed. Jesus turned and looked around at the crowd, asking, “Who touched my garments?” (v. 31). The woman fell at His feet, trembling with fear (v. 33). She reached out in faith at considerable risk because Jesus was well known as a Rabbi empowered by the Spirit of God. Perhaps she feared that she would contaminate Him with her uncleanness and render Him unable to heal the synagogue ruler’s daughter. We can assume she expected to be severely reprimanded and brought to court for touching someone while unclean.
I love the Lord’s response to her: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” After enduring over 12 years of rejection due to her condition, she finally experienced relief. How beautiful it must have been for her to witness grace, acceptance, understanding, and joy in the presence of our Savior.
Proverbs 3:5–6 tell us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our understanding. This is hard to do, however, since we prefer to trust in the Lord along with our own understanding of how things should work out. Though we have minds to read, think, and reason, ultimately our faith comes from abandoning hope in ourselves and risking it all on Jesus. Think of this Beloved, demonstrate an unshakable faith that says, “I believe this is my last hope and can’t afford to miss this great opportunity……whatever it costs me.” Exhibit desperate faith and win. Capture your heart? Hasn’t He been like that with you?
Challenges:
- Take a moment to evaluate your own faith. Are there areas in your life where you need to trust God more deeply?
- Do you have desperate faith to trust Him enough to attend to your desperate situation?
Prayer:
Lord, I am often blind to my own weakness and my need of You. Help me to trust You the way this sick woman did in Jesus name. Amen.
FURTHER READING:
Ezra 3: 1 – 7; 2 Sam. 20: 1 – 8; Romans 13:1 – end
ESOCS Devotional 13 September 2026
