One Year Bible Reading Plan and Devotional
Today’s Bible Reading: February 26
Download the full one-year Bible reading plan here:
One Year Bible Reading Plan
Clicking on the Scripture links above will open a new window where you can read the scripture from the Holman Christian Standard Bible at Biblegateway.com or choose the Bible version you prefer to read. Check back each day to get the Scripture to read in the One Year Bible Reading Plan.
Healing by Touching His Garment
Wouldn’t it be great if Jesus walked among us today and we could just touch the hem of his garment and experience divine healing? Sickness and death has touched us all in some way. We all know people who have been sick with COVID over the past year and many have died because of it. My dad battled cancer. My grandmother battled Alzheimer’s. Sweet friends have battled infertility and miscarriages. Another sweet friend is battling Parkinson’s. My sweet mother-in-law was taken to Heaven from complications associated with diabetes. My husband fights diabetes and its complications every day and he is being evaluated to see if he is eligible for a kidney and pancreas transplant.
All around us, we know people who could use just the touch of the hem of His garment. Chances are as you read this, a person comes to mind, someone you deeply care about – or maybe that person is you. We long for the ability to touch the hem of His garment and experience divine healing.
God Still Heals
We think of these friends and family – or even ourselves – and cry out, “It’s not fair! Why them?” or “Why me?” We earnestly pray for healing and sometimes healing comes and sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t have the answers as to why God heals some and not others. I can’t pretend to always understand His divine plans. But I do know God still heals. I am living proof.
My Story of Divine healing
In October 1993 an 88 year old woman ran a red light in a turn lane and hit the vehicle I was in as we traveled through the intersection. In that moment my world changed. I had two broken vertebrae. One in my neck and one in my lower back. I was in my twenties at the time, with my whole life ahead of me. As my parents got the news from the rescue paramedics, my dad (who was a pastor) started notifying everyone he could think of and prayers started going up. Those people contacted other people. I was on a prayer list from the Florida Baptist Convention and prayers started going up all around the world.
At that time, my parents had no idea what my injuries were – only that I was coming in on an ambulance. My mom was a nurse at the hospital I was taken to and she was in the ER before me. When the x-rays, MRIs and such started coming in, the doctors could not believe that I was not paralyzed from the neck down.
Living Eternally Grateful for Divine Healing
It was a long, painful road to recovery and I live every day with backaches – but I live every day eternally grateful for every prayer said that day.
I live eternally grateful to the paramedics that were called to the scene and had the professional skill to handle me with care so that broken bones didn’t shift and cause paralysis.
I live eternally grateful to Dr. Arnold Zeal, the neurologist who treated me. I live eternally grateful to my mom who stayed by my side day and night through an entire week in ICU and cared for me for months after being released from the hospital.
I live eternally grateful to my little sister who still has my fingernails scarred into her hand where she held my hand through the pain I was in when I was conscious.
And I live eternally grateful to my brother-in-law who was a blood type match and donated blood when plan A was surgery until the break in the neck was found.
But most of all I live eternally grateful to my God who guided the hands of those who took care of me and gave them wisdom to make the best decisions. I am eternally grateful for a God who answered the prayers said on my behalf that day and did a miracle and kept me from being paralyzed. Every time I share my story of that day, it is an opportunity for me to proclaim the goodness of the Lord and thank Him for His miraculous touch and healing.
God is near, even when healing isn’t God’s plan.
Jesus may not walk among us in physical form today, but he is very much near. No matter what you or friends or family may be going through, you can know that God is near. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.” Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” And in Deuteronomy 31:8, it says, “The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
God will go the journey with you
I can’t promise you that God will provide healing for you or your friend or family member. But I can promise that God will go through the journey with you. He will give you strength and courage and help you through it, even if we don’t understand the why.
One thing I do know – those whom I mentioned at the beginning of this post have all trusted Jesus as their Savior. Those I’ve lost have gained healing in Heaven where there is no more sickness and no more death. For those still on earth fighting disease – if God’s divine plan is to not heal them, then God will be with them and give them strength for the days ahead and then their healing will come in Heaven. Yes, we grieve them when God calls them home. We miss them every day. But God wraps us in His arms and gives us peace through the grief.
Amazing Grace
I only have snatches of memories of the day of the accident. But I do remember constantly singing the old hymn, “Amazing Grace” over and over and over again. The more I realized the extent of my injuries, the more of God’s amazing grace I experienced and continue to experience. His grace sustained me that day and the days and months that followed on down through the years and it will sustain you or your friend or you family member who you love so much.
His Amazing grace will also sustain you as you care for your loved one who is sick. He will strengthen you for the days ahead and give you peace. His grace is there for you too, not just the person you care about who is battling the disease they face.
Take time to get alone with Jesus. Rest in His grace. Soak up His strength. Absorb His peace. Gain His wisdom. Feel His love. For you, as you care for your loved one, touching the hem of His garment means all of these so that you can continue in the hard and difficult days ahead. Take a moment, before you continue reading, to listen to Rosemary Siemens’ Amazing Grace and just bask in the presence of Jesus.
Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone
There’s another song that has become popular since the day of my accident. Chris Tomlin’s song, “Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone” reminds me that those who were not healed on this earth, but received their healing in heaven have had their chains of sickness removed. Their chains are gone. They live every day in the presence and grace of our Lord and Savior.
I was devastated the morning my mom called me to tell me my dad had gone. But He used the voice of my son who was only five at the time to remind me that my dad’s chains of cancer were gone. Dad died in the early hours of a Sunday morning. He was a pastor. As I told my son that Papa was now in heaven, Rayce asked, “Mommy do you think Jesus will let Papa preach in heaven today?” As my answer came, I felt the total and complete peace of God fall on me. “Papa will get to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear Jesus preach today.” I know my dad was raising some hallelujah’s that day and will continue to do so for all eternity.
As much as I still miss my dad and long for even just one more lunch conversation with him, I wouldn’t want my dad to return to being bound in the chains of cancer. In heaven, He’s been set free of cancer, chemo, and doctors. And he now spends eternity with his Redeemer. He too knows what it means to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. For Dad, his chains are gone and he sits in the grace of Jesus for all eternity.
#ReadYourBible #Leviticus #Mark #healing #touchthehemofhisgarment #AmazingGrace
Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template
Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.
Visit our three retail experiences:
Tee of the week: Jeremiah 29:13
For America to see revival, 2 Chronicles 7:14 says we are to seek God’s face. Jeremiah tells us that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our hearts.
Visit our YouTube Channels for Christian playlists and our short animated devotionals.
Animated Devotionals
Contemporary Christian Music Playlist
Southern Gospel Playlist
Just Hymns
God, Love, and Marshmallow Wars
by Julia M. Bruce
What’s Inside God, Love, and Marshmallow Wars?
This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
- Scripture to memorize and meditate on
- Conversation Starters
- Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
- Romance Builders
- Relationship Builders
- Personal reflections
- Date ideas
- Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples
Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.
Join the community of couples on Facebook who are committed to intentionally growing their marriage and learning how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.
Bible Studies, Bibles, Books & More
Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.
Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
See our other recent posts:
904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL
Follow us on:
