Positive

“Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me” (Lk. 8:46). 

W

atch out for the negative people.  They are a fallen race.  Watch out for them; they are everywhere.  They seem to have the Minus touch rather than a Midas touch. Instead of making everything golden, this Minus touch turns every grey if not to Lead. Bunyan’s Pilgrim needed to beware of the Slough of Despond.  We need to watch where we walk. As far as I know, there is no spiritual gift of “discouragement” given to the New Testament church.  Watch out for the gloom and doom folks.  Black clouds are always on the horizon for them.  Some folks are not happy unless they are unhappy.  As with cows, they should have bells around their necks to warn us when they approach, so we can at least get out of the way before they trample us with all their bad news. 

 Jesus was the most powerful and positive person to ever grace the face of the earth.  Of course He was God come down to be with us, not against us.  The woman with the issue of blood had had one negative experience after another until she met Jesus.  When she touched Him, her issue was solved or as the KJV says, “stanched.”  She was almost “drained.”  Life has a way of draining us if we are not careful.  She was drained financially, physically, socially and spiritually.  Then she got in touch with Jesus.  She touched Him. 
 Jesus said, “Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me” (Lk. 8:46).  The word is “Power.” The KJV calls it virtue.  There is power in virtue.  There is power in good.  Power went out of Him.  She and He were the only ones who knew something had happened. 

 Everywhere, there are also people filled with God and filled with grace.  Thank God for those who are gifted with the gift of encouragement.  Thank God for saints like Barnabas, and all the other sons of consolation.  They just touch us, brush by us, (Acts 5:15) and we are blessed and made whole, or made somewhat better by being in their presence.  They can do more with a word than some sour saints can do with a whole sermon to lift our flagging spirit.  The sunlight of their countenance is most welcome, and the darkness overcomes it not.  Thank God for those who have come by you.  If there are none near now, look for Jesus.  Open His Book of Words and you will find life.  Open the Bible for you will find Him there. Touch Him and let Him touch you.  If we, like this dear woman, could just push our way past all the negative people, past the multitude of gloom(ers), and doom(ers), all the Pharisees and the Sad-You-Sees and touch the hem of Christ’s blessed garment our grey would turn golden. He is the plus that cancels every minus. “Are you sure?” someone asks. “Yes, I say, I’m positive.”  God inhabits praise. -id