Real Hope: Courageous FaithSample

Courage To Reach Out

When we think of courageous faith in scripture many things come to mind, Peter walking on water, Noah building the ark or Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den! However profound these stories are, for me, it’s the faith of this woman in Luke 8 that truly moves my heart.

She had been fighting an illness for 12 years. In other translations it says she spent all her money trying to be healed. She had lost everything she had. I can only imagine the shame, disappointment and isolation she must have felt throughout those long and painful years. Every time she scraped enough money together to see another physician, she allowed a little hope to creep back into her heart only to find herself back in a position of hopelessness and disappointment when it didn’t work.

Yet in this moment as Jesus walked the streets of Galilee, she found the courage to reach out and touch the edge of Jesus’ cloak, when all hope had been lost, when the risk of disappointment would have been unbearable – she reached out. Again.

Courageous faith happens every day as people choose again to reach out to Jesus despite the disappointments that life has thrown at them. It’s a privilege to be a witness to the everyday courageous lives of faith of those around me. If you’re in a position where you don’t know if you can reach out again – remember this woman of faith and be encouraged. 

Written by LUCY WEIL