“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.’ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” (Luke 13:10-17)

Luke, in verse 16, described the woman as one who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years and “bound” by “Satan”. Without denying the historicity of the event, it must be pointed out that there is obvious symbolic value in Luke’s placing this miracle at this point in the narrative. It was Jesus’ mission among the people of the nation to loose them from crippling influences and bring them to uprightness. Here was a graphic example of Jesus’ touch, bringing the woman to a position of uprightness. Jesus healed her by His words and by touching her. Immediately she straightened up and praised God. This act of praising God was the proper response to the work of Jesus.

This woman was bent over, she was beat down and hopeless, having lost hope of ever being healed. Many think that because of her downtrodden spirit, she was bent over in a state of depression. Her spirit and soul had stooped to a low level and her body had bent over to the same level of her spirit and her depressed thoughts.

Have you struggled with something for years like the women in this Scripture? Have you been beat down by negativity? Negative thoughts will cause you to walk around in a stupor, depressed and hopeless. What we allow ourselves to believe will determine whether we overcome or not. This woman had bought into the lie that her infirmity defined her and there was no hope. Negativity will always beat you down.

Maybe for you, you have lived with a negative and critical spouse, or a negative and condescending boss that has beat you down with constant criticism. If you have been under criticism you may be stooped over from the lies you have believed about yourself. Negative words are powerful and even toxic. The countless berating of criticism, anger, and even condemnation will break you down to where your identity is defined by your broken heart. But one touch from Jesus can change everything.

Today, receive the words that Jesus spoke to the woman as if He were looking straight at you. Jesus looked at the woman that day and said “you are loosed from your infirmity.” When His words reached her ear, and His hand touched her body, she was instantly made straight. With her body now straightened, she could finally see clearly. Instead of looking down at the ground oppressed by the spirit, she could look up and see straight in front of her. The woman was loosed from the demonic influence that had her so beat down.

Allow Jesus to touch you and loose you from whatever has beat you down. Jesus sees you just as He saw that woman and He is calling out to you to be loosed you from your infirmity.

William Boggs

William is the son of Lee and Denise Boggs. He has a passion to carry the message of the healing power of Jesus. He desires to see a generation of people, young and old, have their hearts healed and be awakened from the Spiritual coma many find themselves in. No matter what stage of life you are currently in, God has a purpose for you. If you want to find that purpose, you will truly benefit from William’s testimony and also find a miracle only God could have orchestrated.

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