She said to herself, If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.

Matthew 9:21

This a woman at the end of her rope, she had tried everything else.  She had done everything imaginable.  But, she had arrived at a plan.  She knew the Healer was nearby and, though it was breaking the law, she decided to press through the possible consequences of the stigma and her own shame and pain and touch the one she knew could heal her.

It was her faith that healed her, Jesus said.  Other times, it was Jesus’ faith, and the power of God present to heal, but for her, it was her faith that drew upon that anointing within the Lord.  It wasn’t His will that healed her, but hers!  Jesus, well aware of the Spirit within Him, according to other accounts, was able to feel the strength of that virtue departing from Him, but, it was her belief, if she only touched, that made it come forth.  And for this, He commended her.

There can be a special unction from the Lord attached to an object.  In the story of Elisha, after his death, his body was placed into a grave.

Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.

2 Kings 13:20-21

In this case, it is not apparent that it was the faith of any of the men involved, including that of Elisha.  However, merely contacting his bones.

Today, we do not have here His robe to touch.  And, whether it was the robe itself, or whether she merely touched a heavenly reality of which the robe stood as a token, we do not know.  But, we know it is her faith.

But, we have His Word, and we have His Spirit.  If by just one word, we can merely touch Him, we will have what we ask.  This is the message of the faith of the gospel.

It isn’t for treasure, it isn’t to make ones self rich, as that is a perversion, using heavenly substance to procure primarily material ends.  That deserves judgement.  But, the material will follow faith, eventually, guaranteed.  The Kingdom is God’s, and He is near the broken hearted, where justice and righteousness are the foundation of His throne.  If, in our pursuit of faith, we violate these two, we will not meet a pleasant end, although we may receive what we “seek” in the short term.

For, if by faith, we seek only the here and now, we may very well receive that, and that alone.  If we only sow to receive what we know, what about the vast array of possibilities that we are unaware of, even to ask?  It is good to sow specifically, but it is also good to sow generally, and to let the one who is Wisdom decide how best to spend it.

But, faith touches that which is not yet held in the natural.  Whether the woman’s faith brought her beyond into a realm of the Kingdom, or merely was enough to bring her forward unto the man anointed for the hour, the scriptures do not record.  But, we have the opportunity, whenever we read of any promise of His word, to reach forth our hand, and continue to seek, saying, “If I Only Touch…”  If I only touch Eternal Peace, I will be calmed.  If I only touch Eternal Sovereignty, I will be secure.  If I only touch the Eternal one, I will be provided for.

For, ultimately, it was Abraham that first used the name “Jehovah Jireh” (Genesis 22:14), he was naming that mountain.  The saying was, “On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided.”

You see, the place of provision is a place in the Spirit.  As we yield to Him, listen to Him, seek for Him, He is able to make all grace abound unto us (2 Corinthians 9:8).  If the place of provision is a place, then let us ascend in praise and worship, unto the house of the Lord in the realm of the Spirit, and we will find, standing in His presence, that all our needs are met.

Even Asaph, in Psalm 73, was dismayed, and had nearly given up to disheartenment.  He saw the apparent success of the wicked.  But, he checked his mouth, and did not let himself speak according to the discouragement that was tempting him.

If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me
till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

Psalm 73:15-17

It was when Asaph entered back into the sanctuary, the place of worship, the place of His Presence, that all the thoughts of the day melted away.  It was the place in the Spirit of revelation where he saw the outcome of the wicked, where it was reminded what a wonderful God we serve, and powerful.

If we can only touch Him in any of His words, if we can only touch Him in any realm of who He is, if we can but touch even the hem of His garment, we will be made whole.  For what end?

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exodus 8:1

The same reason God always leads someone out of the bondage of slavery, that we might come and serve, worship, Him.