“Cloud of Witnesses”
Key Scripture: Hebrews 12:1a,b (NKJV) “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,...”
A cloud looks like one big cotton ball (especially as we fly through them in an airplane), but it is made up of a gazillion tiny droplets of water (undetectable to the naked eye) that are so compact that they combine to look like one entity. This lets us know that the Bible is filled with more witnesses of faith than we can count, just as we could never count the number of individual water droplets in a cloud. This scripture is preceded by Hebrews 11 which has been called the “Faith Hall of Fame” with statements starting with “By Faith” or “Through Faith”, accounts of the faith journeys of “heroes & heroines” of the Bible. However, there are many examples of people of faith who are unnamed in both the Old & New Testaments who have testimonies just as powerful as the ones in Hebrews 11. Let’s look at a couple.
The Woman with the Issue of Blood (Mark 5:25-29) She had been flowing for 12 years and was desperate. Not only did she have faith, but her words, the confessions of her mouth, reflected her faith. Her faith was so strong that she confessed with her words that she would be (not might be) healed by just touching His clothes. (Mark 5:28) She made her way through the crowd, and as soon as she touched his clothes (not Him), she was instantly healed. (Mark 5:29)
The Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13) told Jesus that he had a servant who was very ill. Jesus answered, “I will come and heal him”, but the Centurion recognized Jesus’ authority to heal and replied “But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed”. Jesus was so impressed with his faith that He said, “.....I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel”. (Verse 13) ”…..Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you”. The servant was healed!
What is the common denominator? Not only did they have faith, their words/confessions lined up with their faith. They did not claim faith yet speak defeat. Sometimes, we have to “put feet to our faith” as the unnamed woman whom we know only as the Woman with the Issue of blood did in her desparation. It required action on her part. A woman with that kind of condition was not even allowed to be around people because she was deemed “unclean”. The culture and Law were such that if she were to be around people, she was supposed to warn them by yelling UNCLEAN!! UNCLEAN!!
She was tenancious and had to get out of her comfort zone to go after her miracle. She could have gotten into a lot of trouble by taking the risk of even being in that throng of people that included the disciples and, most probably, the Pharisees. She was breaking the law. (Leviticus 15:25)
Perhaps you feel that your faith is not big enough or strong enough to be able to believe God for the big, life altering requests. Don't despair. In Mark 9, a father brought his demon possessed son to Jesus pleading with Him to set his son free since the disciples had been unsuccessful. Jesus responds, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes". What he does next is key. The father was honest and transparent in Verse 24. "Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief". He asked for what he knew he lacked. More faith. We must also be honest with the Lord about where we are in our faith journey and ask for what we need.
This woman had spent all of her money on doctors who were unable to heal her. The father had gone to the disciples, who were not able to deliver his son. Tim Keller wrote, "As many have learned and later taught, you don't realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have".
I will leave you with one more scripture to ponder.
Matthew 7:7 (NLT). "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for, Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you."
Blessings!
~CWP~
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