God’s Presence Is Peace

Jan 17

Written By Marissa

Many of us may have heard or read the story of the bleeding woman in the Bible. (Mark 5: 25-29) She is famous for the boldness of her faith to merely reach out and grasp at Jesus’ robes. This familiar story often focuses on her desperate faith and the compassion of Jesus. His compassion is not new to us. We see Jesus bless and heal and love all kinds of broken people throughout the gospels. However, if we back up a few verses in Mark 5, there is another characteristic of Jesus on display - a characteristic we may all need to be reminded of today.

Mark 5:21 tells us Jesus had just crossed the sea and landed on the shore to be greeted by a large crowd of people. Jarius, a leader in the synagogue, comes to Jesus in desperation pleading for Him to heal his dying daughter. Jesus agrees to do so. As relieving as it was to hear this, I’m sure Jarius all but dragged Jesus down the road with him as he ran back to his daughter, a dying little girl who may have only had moments left to live.

In the picture Mark 5:21-24 paints, we can tell Jesus is being rushed to meet this little girl. In Mark 5:24 we read, “And He went with him. And a great crowd followed Him and thronged about Him” (ESV). This is when the bleeding woman reaches out to Jesus, and He does the unthinkable in such a hurry. He stops.

Jesus stops to meet with this woman in her suffering. He stops to heal her. He stops all the chaos and commotion to meet her where she is in the moment she needs Him. Jesus is compassionate of course, but today we may need to hear that Jesus will stop in the chaos and meet with us. He will bring peace to the commotion.

Our God is one of peace. He is one who wants to meet with us individually even if we feel the rush of the crowds around us. We see in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all” (ESV).

His very presence is peace. What is the commotion surrounding you? Does it feel like you are in the midst of chaos? Invite God in. He longs to have a special moment with you. He will stop to meet you amidst the hustle and bustle of this life.

Marissa

Marissa Tarantino currently lives in New York City, though she grew up in East Tennessee. In both places she has worked in children’s ministry to help kids meet Jesus. She values having a deep, personal relationship with the Lord and letting His voice guide her steps in life.

Marissa works as a Tax Consultant, but has always loved writing. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring New York City, drinking coffee, and reading a good book. However, Marissa’s main joy is spending quality time with family and friends!

You can learn more on Marissa’s Instagram here.