[bluidkiti]

“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.” Luke 8:43–44 (NKJV)

After many years of energetic activity, I was unexpectedly hit with a long-term illness that was not life-threatening, but completely life-altering. It gave me a new appreciation for the woman in Luke. She had tried everything, every remedy, every doctor, every treatment money could buy. Yet nothing was sufficient. “Chronic” is a painful word, full of the dread of unending struggle and daily disappointment.

In my own health challenges, I wanted to keep a hopeful attitude. I put my trust in scientists to research the disease and find answers. I also put hope in the government to fund studies and provide information. Each time I visited a new specialist, I hoped the doctors would suggest a treatment that would make a difference. I also optimistically tried all sorts of new nutritional choices.

But as months passed I realized research breakthroughs might not come, and certainly not as fast as I would prefer. As far as government funding, other needs took priority and little was being done to find answers. Doctors offered their best, but admitted there was no cure and few treatment options. Nutritional changes and other complementary medicine had minimal benefit.

When human answers disappoint us, that doesn’t leave us without hope. Instead, we find there is only one safe place to put our hope. Like the woman in Luke 8, we can grab hold of Jesus. He has the power to heal with a touch. But He also has the power to give a different sort of miracle. He can give us grace to keep loving Him and praising Him each day, even while the illness lingers.

Faith Step: Is there an illness or other problem you’ve been battling, where human solutions have disappointed you? Grab hold of Jesus today and ask for His help.

—Sharon Hinck