"And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."

Many of us, from little on, have heard this story of the woman who was bleeding for twelve years. It has a wonderful ending in that she touches Jesus and the bleeding stops immediately. I wonder, though, how many of us understand just what was going on in this woman's mind that day in her life. Now we cannot know specifics of her thought life, but from the Word there are some things that we can see.

First off, realize that there was specific law set in place that forbade anyone who had a flow of blood from being in contact with people. This woman was taking a great chance by even being there in public! (See Leviticus 15) So we know she had to resist fear from the start. "What if somebody recognizes me?" "They'll stone me for sure!" The pressure to never leave her home must have been great.

I think this woman was desperate. Desperation is not such a bad thing, especially when we become desperate for God. Always remember, God never causes an event or a circumstance that will produce desperation in us. He wants our free-will worship and adoration of Him. This woman had gone twelve years in the same condition and was not getting any better, in fact she had become worse. When people get desperate they are brave. Are you desperate in your desire for the Lord to bring to pass in you all that He has promised?

Another key to understanding this woman's mind-set is remembering that she was a Jew. The Jews were instructed in the Law from little on and had knowledge of the ways of the Lord. She knew who Jesus was, that He was the fulfillment of prophecies that had been made hundreds of years prior. The reason I say that is in regard to her action of reaching out for the border of Christ's garment.

The garment Christ wore on His head was called a tallith, or a prayer shawl. On the border of this garment were fringes called tsiytsith (pronounced "tsee-tseeth"). To the Jews the fringes had great significance. These fringes consisted of a series of strands, knots and windings of strings. In the study of numbers in Scripture, known as gamatria, these strands, knots and windings of strings add up to 613. Every good Jew knew that there were not just 10 commandments in God's Law, but in actuality there were 613.

The Law, all 613 commands, represented the totality of all that God is and ever will be. So when she reached for the border or hem of Christ's garment, she was in fact reaching out for the totality of all that God is and ever will be! When she did that with faith it brought the anointing into her physical body and produced the cure. Jesus was not holding back healing from her or anyone else! He just wants us to believe in Him for Who He is and not lean to our own way of doing things. This woman knew that Jesus was the totality of all that God is and ever will be.

Somebody had told her of the marvelous things that had been happening in the ministry of Jesus.

Romans 10:17
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Again, this woman had some knowledge of the Scriptures concerning the coming Messiah. She must have read the book of Malachi. In particular the fourth chapter.

Malachi 4:2
"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."

Upon first look that verse may not have great significance to you. But the key is in the word used for "wings". It is the Hebrew word "kanaph" (pronounced kaw-nawf). One of the meanings for this word is "an edge or extremity of a garment or bed-clothing; a border."

Do you see what she saw? I believe now we have some greater insight into what was going through her thoughts that day. She had heard about Jesus and in hearing about Him recalled what Scripture had to say about the One coming who would redeem Israel. She remembered this verse in Malachi and knew that if she could just touch the edge of His garment she could receive healing. It was the touch of faith - faith in who Christ was that brought healing to the woman.

What is your need today? Simply reach out - believing that Christ is still a healer. He hasn't changed, He's the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Whatever your need, He wants it fulfilled. Simply trust Him and believe that He is the God that sees your need and will supply whatever it takes for it to be met.

From now on, when we refer to this Biblical account we should call it "the woman who had an issue of blood but was healed." After all, when it was over, the issue had disappeared!