Your Unshakable Hope

I love the story in Mark 5:25-34 (NASB) where a woman who suffered for 12 long years came to Jesus for a new beginning. Like so many people today, she had first tried everything else before seeking the Lord for a remedy to her situation.

Although the woman had done the best she knew at the time, her efforts brought no relief. We’re told that she “had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but instead had become worse” (Mark 5:26).

She must have been feeling quite alone and hopeless.

The King James Version describes this woman’s trouble as “an issue of blood,” meaning that she had a persistent bleeding problem or hemorrhage. But before you write off her story as being irrelevant to you, consider this: While you may not have “an issue of blood,” each one of us faces some kind of issue that requires God’s help.

So, what is your issue today? Is it a medical condition, like the woman in this story? Are you battling depression or some form of addiction? Do you face concerns about your finances or the choices being made by your children? We all have issues that bleed our hope away as surely as the woman in Mark 5. You are not alone.

Ready to Obey?

Perhaps your situation today feels much the same as it did for this distressed woman. You’ve tried everything, but nothing ever seems to change. What more can you do? Like this woman, your frustrating circumstances may have lingered for weeks, months, or even years. The devil tells you every day, “See, nothing will ever change! You might as well give up!”

The turning point in this woman’s life began when she heard reports about Jesus. “After hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak” (Mark 5:27).

Although hearing about Jesus was the first step in the miracle this woman would receive, it was only the beginning. Lots of people hear about Jesus, but they still don’t get their breakthrough. Why not? Often they have failed to take the next step that this woman displayed.

You see, after hearing about Jesus, she took action to touch His garments. Many hearers in our churches today have never become doers (James 1:22-25). But this woman received her healing because her hearing was followed by her doing.

What about you? You’ve no doubt heard about Jesus, and perhaps you even attend church regularly. Yet if you’re feeling stuck in some area of your life, I encourage you to take the next step: Push through the crowd to touch the Lord by faith.

When you set out to do this, you will surely encounter obstacles. People may be in the way. Pain may be in the way. The devil himself may seem to block your path. However, it’s crucial to turn your desperation into obedient action, not letting anything stop you from getting to Jesus to receive your breakthrough.

This woman’s point of contact with Jesus was to touch His garment, but He may have some other action in mind for us. Are you ready to obey Him – whatever He tells you to do?

Speak in Faith

When you’re awaiting your breakthrough, it can be difficult to keep your hopes up and continue speaking words of faith. Yet that’s exactly what this woman did: “She had been saying to herself, ‘If I just touch His garments, I will get well’” (Mark 5:28).

Many believers are willing to give a testimony after their breakthrough comes, but during their time of testing, they’re full of moaning and groaning. Not so for this woman … she proclaimed the victory before she received it! She not only believed in her heart, but she also spoke words of faith from her lips.

The woman’s example shows how powerful our words can be. As Solomon challenges us in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” In this woman’s case, her life was literally spared by the faith she exercised and proclaimed.

My friend, don’t wait for the victory before you start proclaiming it! Your testimony of faith is one of the greatest keys to becoming an overcomer (Revelation 12:10-11). To get unstuck from your negative circumstances, you must get away from the naysayers and the purveyors of doom and gloom. Start surrounding yourself with people who point you to Jesus and stand with you to believe that a breakthrough is on the way.

After years of frustration and defeat, this woman discovered that Jesus could quickly fix her “issue” – and I’m convinced that the same is true for you today.

Jesus wants to give you a fresh start. He wants to speak words of freedom, healing, and deliverance to you just as He did to the distraught woman: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease” (Mark 5:34).

This can be the day your turnaround begins. Believe in the Lord’s promises and reach out to Him in faith!

Your Hope Is Alive!

Today it’s more important than ever to keep your focus on your living Savior as your true source of hope and assurance.

I’ve found that when I take my eyes off my needs and focus on how awesome and powerful God is, my troubles disappear in His presence. That’s why I’m so confident that whatever problem you may be facing today pales in comparison to the majesty of your Heavenly Father.

So choose to stop looking at your personal situation and trouble and start looking at the Savior of your soul. Stop looking at the political upheaval, pandemics, natural disasters, economic turmoil … and fierce cultural wars. Stay focused on who He is, and stand on His Word – no matter what you see and hear around you.

Ask the Lord to give you a new perspective, showing you who HE is and who YOU are in Him. Your Father is the Creator of the universe, and you are His workmanship, His child, and the love of His life.

My prayer for you today is this: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Remember, when your eyes are fixed on Him, your hope will always be ALIVE and unshakable!

God bless you,

David Cerullo

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