Pressing In

"As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 
'Who touched me?' Jesus asked".
Luke 8:42b-44

The woman in this story was desperate. She had spent all her money and many years going to doctors. No one and no amount of money could cure her sickness. She was so desperate that there was only one place she could go. She had heard about Jesus. She knew that he had a proven history of healing those who were suffering. So she went to him. Fighting her way through the crowd, she touched him...and was completely healed.
    I think there is a lesson for us to learn from this story. First, we can learn something from the crowds that were following Jesus. The scripture says that Jesus was almost crushed by the crowds. In other translations, it says that the crowd was pressing in around him. It is this idea of pressing in that I believe is a lesson for us. We need to learn to press in to the things of God. I know that I fall short of pressing in. There are many times when I would prefer to think about nothing, do nothing, and relax, rather than spend time with God. But I am learning that I must press in to receive all that God has for me. Every good thing that comes from God is meant to be sought. Jesus promised us that if we will seek, we will find. This means that we must press in with everything we have to find what God has for us. Jesus taught this truth many times. He said the kingdom is like a pearl of great price. Those who want it are willing to give up everything to receive. It is time for us to learn what the crowds knew; press in!
    We can also learn from the woman. Not only did she have to press in to get to Jesus, she also had to fight through the crowd. But the key to her victory was this: She touched him. She would not be satisfied just to press in with the rest of the crowd. She would not be satisfied by just being in the vicinity of Jesus. She knew she had to touch him. If we can have this kind of passion, we will see great things happen. Yes, we need to press in to the things of God, but we must have the passion to not be satisfied until we touch him. It is at this moment that the power of God is released into our lives, just like it was released to the woman.
    Think about it today. How willing are you to press in to God? It may mean that you must give up some other things. How willing are you to press in to the point that you touch him? It may take some effort, and you may have to fight through a crowd, but the reward is eternal. I am not advocating a 'works' mentality. We cannot earn the blessing of God, it is given. But there is a principle that Jesus taught which we cannot deny: To receive all the blessing of heaven and the full release of God's presence in our lives, we must press in to the point that we touch him. When we do, blessings beyond our comprehension are released. It is not a legalistic righteousness that will accomplish this. It is instead a deep seeded desire in our hearts to enter into an intimate relationship with God. Press in, touch him. You will experience great reward.