Seen in the Crowd

Welcome and thank you for joining us for tonight's

Eardilly Bread, Evening Meditation. This time is a gift from God, an opportunity to meditate

on His presence, His words and His love for you. You are never lost in the crowd. The

Lord sees you, He knows you and He cares about even the tiniest details of your life.

God offers you this invitation to slow down and be still before Him.

Close your eyes and let your head gently sink into your pillow. He is here to receive you,

He accepts you and loves you.

Some 4 verse 8 says, In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone Lord make me dwell in safety.

Take some deep calming breaths, rest in the safety of God's presence. Let your body relax.

Peace, the Lord is here. Peace has gift to you.

Dear Lord, sometimes it's hard to believe that you really love me,

that Jesus really died for me, that you truly know who I am and still accept me.

I pray for heart revelation tonight, the time I truly understand the wonder of the gospel,

that when you look at me, you see the righteousness of Christ.

Let your word take a deep root within my heart.

Verses within Mark chapter 5, 25 to 34 say, A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding

for 12 years. She thought, If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.

Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once, Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned round in the crowd and asked,

Who touched my clothes? Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet

and trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, daughter, your faith has healed you.

Go in peace.

Jesus often spoke to huge crowds, but what He really loved was engaging with individuals,

giving them personal hope and strength. On one occasion, throngs of bustling people were pushing

and shoving against Jesus when He suddenly asked, Who touched my clothes? It was an odd question,

when so many people were pressing against Him. Somehow this touch was different.

It was a deliberate, faith-filled touch. Someone had broken through to His miraculous power.

At last, she spoke. She hadn't been seeking an audience with Jesus, only a private miracle.

She got both. Her 12-year battle with illness had caused her physical, emotional and financial devastation,

but that electrifying blend of desperation and faith in Christ ignited the spark that led to that

healing touch. Daughter, he said, your faith has healed you.

There were many faces in the crowd, yet he gave his full attention to her,

explained the miracle, and gave those words of hope that still resonate today.

Your faith has healed you.

Jesus is not just another person in our lives, and we are not just another person in His.

He is still the healer, the Savior, and the eternal Lord of all creation,

and you are His beloved disciple and friend.

Do you feel like you sometimes get lost in the crowd?

Use this reflective time to meditate on the reality that God sees you, knows you, and loves you.

As we turn to prayer, allow every part of your body to relax.

Start at your feet, flex your toes, and stretch down your legs.

Work your way up through your body, letting each muscle stretch and relax.

Listen to the words of Psalm 4 verse 8 again, which says,

in peace I will lie down and sleep for you alone Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Come now in peace to truly rest in the Lord's presence.

Let's breathe together with long, slow exhales.

Follow my directions, or breathe at a peace that is comfortable to you.

Breathe in, and out.

And in, and out.

And in, and out.

Let's pray, Father, how awesome that you know and love each person you have made, including me.

Thank you for the gift of your attention, your personal care, and the invitation to come and spend time in your presence.

I have an impersonal, distant faith, a cold, clinical head knowledge that you are loving, powerful, and good.

And sometimes I have feverish desperation, an immediate need that swallows up every other

consideration. But often in those times I lack faith. I pray that you would ignite in me that

rare combination of desperation and faith like the woman in tonight's story. That I too might

truly connect to your mighty power and the deeper knowledge of you.

Psalm 139 vs 13 to 18 say, You created my inn most being. You net me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that

full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place when I was woven

together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days are

deemed for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your

thoughts, God. How vast is the sum of them? Where I to count them, they would outnumber the greens of

sand. When I awake, I am still with you. Let's close with a final prayer.

Thank you that through Jesus I am one with you. I am never truly alone. I will never be lost for

sake in or forgotten. Lord, illuminate my heart with joy as I settle to sleep tonight,

confident and comforted by your love. Amen.