God’s faithfulness has been my lifeline through  the desperate times when it seemed that there was no hope in sight and nothing to reach for. But at the last moment when my faith was at its lowest and my desperation at its peak, a  very thin thread of hope would appear dangling in thin air, barely visible .

This was the case of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’s garment – it was her last thread of hope. Mark said she had suffered at the hands of physicians for years (Mark 5:26) and the fringe of Jesus’s cloak was her lifeline.

“²⁰ And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; ²¹ for she was saying to herself, ‘If I only touch His garment, I will get well.’” (Matthew 9: 20-21)

There is a thread of hope hanging from the hem of Christ’s robe just for you. Desperation and fear often brought me low, but it also positioned me to see the thread of hope in just the right light, barely visible, hanging from the hem of His garment.

The Apostle Paul infers this when he writes:

¹³ No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NASV)

This verse tells us that God provides a way of escape, a lifeline, when we are facing temptation. But I believe the same holds true for other situations that don’t involve temptation. Jesus will provide each of us a thread of hope when doors close or situations change.

These threads show up through people and other opportunities presented to us. Though these threads are usually right in front of me, many times it is my fear, insecurity and unbelief that almost keeps me from grabbing hold of them.

Was it the answer I needed, the provision, a blessing in disguise? And every time it was because the single, fragile thread was hanging from the garment of my Savior.

I am learning to reach for these strands, instead of rejecting them. Most times it has been presented in an innocent conversation as someone shared their thoughts or experiences or something they tried.

Desperation was the fuel that pushed me past my fear as I  reached for the dangling thread of hope. We must sharpen our senses and pay attention to these opportunities that God is lowering down to us.

Our lethargy, unbelief, self-pity blinds us and stops us from receiving them. Take the risk. Take the chance. Let go of your fears and grab it. Healing comes in all shapes and forms.

When we reach by faith and touch the thread hanging from Christ’s garment God pulls us through whatever it is going on in our lives.

“She said, if only I could touch the hem of his garment, I will be made whole (healed). (Matthew 9:21)