JP65: Holding Onto Hope: Moving Forward When All Seems Lost

For twelve years, she suffered from an embarrassing medical condition, spending all that she had on failed treatments, leaving her body worse in the end than at the beginning.  Where else could she turn for hope when everything she tried failed?  Today’s blog explores how to hold onto hope and keep moving forward when all seems lost.

“And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”  Mk 5:24–34.

Keep Trusting

The suffering woman heard reports about Jesus; what she did next changed everything. Instead of watching Jesus and the crowds move through the town from a distance, the woman moves toward Jesus, "unclean" as she was according to custom, and touches the garment Jesus was wearing.  Her cure was instantaneous.  And Jesus noticed that healing power had gone out to someone in the crowd.

The woman had every reason to give up on God but held onto hope, believing that the God who made her would not utterly forsake her.  

We often mistake failed plans, sudden setbacks, and years of trial as evidence of God's inability to act or lack of love.  

But God is not defined by our circumstances.  And why would we want God to be that way - a shifty nature that pivots randomly to satisfy the desires of broken humanity?  God is unchanging, and we can trust His love, even under the most challenging circumstances.

Jesus is Worthy of Our Trust

Jesus is fully aware of our circumstances.  Even with a large crowd pressing in, Jesus knew someone had reached out for healing.  His compassion extends beyond our capacity to understand, even when our situation remains unchanged.  

He is with you now, able to find you in a sea of humanity.  And while your healing may not be immediate or your situation altered in this lifetime, Jesus promises to walk with you through every trial, bringing peace, comfort, and grace to keep hoping in this broken world.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for extending your love to meet the needs of every soul.  Strengthen our faith when we don’t see the results of your love and divine favor.  Cause us to remain hopeful that you are working for our good, even when life does not turn out like we had dreamed.  Help us to remember that, through faith in you, we can have peace that transcends understanding while on earth and a forever hope of heaven with you.

Questions for Application:

1. What’s going on in your life that you’ve exhausted efforts trying to fix?

2. What does it look like to run to Jesus with that struggle?

3. What is Jesus asking you to do to keep trusting Him in the silence and waiting?

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Photo by Joseph Frank on Unsplash