Despair Over Health Issues
There is many health condition that women face today that can lead to despair. The woman with the bloody issue gives us hope that there is help. That help comes for Jesus Christ and the faith we have in Him. Jesus is the champion of those who are hurting.
The woman with the bloody issue must have gone through many periods of despair. Every time she would go to the doctor and get no help the despair must have soared. Hemorrhaging for twelve years without the aid of taking iron, surgery or the various medications we have today to prevent the hemorrhaging. Bless her heart in just enduring those twelve years are admirable.
Long term illnesses form our world view about our self, our families, our friends and even our relationship with Jesus Christ. Many people facing a long illness or experiencing a terminal illness turn against the LORD God blaming Him for their illness.
There are unexpected changes in their identity because of the long term illness. It is normal to fell depressed, despondent, and hopeless during this period of time. It is normal to experience anger and frustration. Proverbs 18:14 reminds us that the spirit of a man can sustain his infirmity but if the spirit is wounded then it makes it impossible to bear that infirmity.
It didn’t help the woman with the bloody issue that she was considered spiritually unclean. Once a person gets a diagnosis of a long term disease like cancer they also may have the feeling of being unclean. Where does one turn with such diagnosis of a long term illness or health issue?
It would be normal to feel sadness, frightened or overwhelmed with the diagnosis. It is no different than dealing with grief. Accepting these feelings and allowing you to feel them is just part of the process and is necessary for any kind of healing. The woman with the issue kept going to different physicians to find help.
There is or right or wrong way to handle the despair over health issues. We do not know the everyday activities of the woman with the bloody issue and how she coped with life. We know that when she heard Jesus had healing powers, she had faith she would be healed. She knew all she had to do was touch the hem of His garment.
Isaiah 40:29-31 says that the LORD gives power to the faint and weak that they might have an increase of strength. All you have to do is wait upon the LORD and your strength shall be renewed. This verse is not saying you will be cured of your health issue it says you can gain strength to deal with it.
You might not be cured as the woman with the issue was after twelve years of suffering. You are guaranteed to be given strength and peace from the LORD. (Psalm 29:11). Just think how much easier it would be to go through a health issue knowing that you are doing so hand in hand with Jesus. That means you are never alone in your journey through the illness.
Having faith and trust in the LORD will give you the coping skills to get through the illness. Knowing you are not alone will help you get any illness. The strength of the LORD will help you endure all that has to be endured during the illness. Just like the woman with the twelve year issue of bleeding you also can trust and have faith that your illness can be made tolerable with the strength you receive from the LORD.
Jesus showed great love and compassion for the woman with the issue of bleeding. She was ceremonially unclean and people stayed away from her. When she needed her family and friends they were not there. She was forced to cope with her affliction in isolation. Because she was unclean she could not even experience the comforting touch or embrace.
This is a common occurrence when people get a diagnosis of cancer. Friends and family desert them to cope on their own. It can be a lonely time in a person’s life when they are uncertain about their future. This woman teaches us all that it was her faith and trust in Jesus that led her to be cured. Our faith and trust in the LORD can give us strength. When we are weak, then we are strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9- 10 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Despair Over Health Issues:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2236,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “Despair Over Health Issues:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2236,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Despair Over Health Issues:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2236, (accessed).
