For many, many years, anxiety has been my nemesis. It looks and feels different from day to day. Sometimes I get this panicky, jittery feeling in my chest or I have difficulty breathing normally. Sometimes I develop stomach aches or become very scatter-brained when I try to think through what needs to get done for the day. Sometimes I’m much more emotional about something than I might normally be. There are some days when I barely feel any anxiety at all, but they are other days when I am absolutely miserable and wish it could all just go away.
I’ve struggled with anxiety for a long time, and I’ve prayed over and over again that the Lord would take it away from me. But He never has. I know there must be a reason that God has allowed me to wrestle with these feelings and symptoms for so long. I know He is no cruel dictator and that He loves me greatly, far greater than anyone else ever could. However, at times, I just feel hopeless, like there’s no hope of ever being free and at peace.
Perhaps you feel the same way—hopeless, like you have no chance of finding any peace or relief from whatever is your greatest struggle. But these people—those who have lost all hope—are exactly the kind of people Jesus draws near to. And we can see this clearly in Jesus’ encounter with a hopeless woman in Luke 8.
“And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.” Luke 8:43, ESV
This woman had been suffering from some kind of condition or disorder for twelve years. We don’t know exactly what was causing her bleeding or how much pain or weariness she felt because of it. But twelve years is a long time for someone to struggle with a physical illness. And her struggles were not just physical. The woman’s non-stop bleeding would’ve caused her to be considered “unclean” in the culture. This means that she couldn’t be touched, she couldn’t be visited, she couldn’t visit others, she couldn’t go to the temple, and she couldn’t go out in public without making everyone around her aware of her uncleanliness. She was isolated and alone, desperate for healing and affection.
She used all the money she had on doctors and physicians who could not cure her illness. I imagine she prayed for hours, days, weeks, months, years on end, pleading that God would take her plight away from her. But He never did. And as she spent year after year alone in her home, looking out at everyone else living a normal, happy life, I’m sure she felt pretty hopeless.
One day, that all changed. A man named Jesus was in town. She had no doubt heard of this Jesus, the Man who speaks with authority, the Man who heals the sick and raises the dead. This was no ordinary Man. This was no ordinary Physician. Surely, He could heal her. If only she could get close enough to Him. If only she could touch just the hem of His garment.
“She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.” Luke 8:44
The woman stepped outside of her house and swam through the crowd to get to Jesus, surely touching many people she was not supposed to. She finally got to Jesus and touched Him, and after twelve years of physical and emotional suffering, she was healed immediately and completely. No more bleeding. No more isolation. No more hopelessness.
“And Jesus said, ‘Who was it that touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.’ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’” Luke 8:45-48
Jesus is omniscient, so He must have known it was the woman who touched Him. But He demanded that she make herself known. She came forward, falling on her knees in fear and reverence, confessing what she had done and how she had been healed. Normally, her touch would’ve caused a person to become unclean. But this didn’t happen to Jesus. Instead, He reassured her, declaring that her faith in Him had healed and saved (Gk. sozo) her and exhorting her to go in peace. After twelve years, the woman could finally find relief. She could finally be free. And she could finally have hope.
If you find yourself relating to this woman, struggling with something for a long time, having your prayers seemingly go unanswered, feeling hopeless about your future, take heart. Trust that your Lord and Savior is sovereign and knows what He is doing. Remain persistent in praying for healing, relief, and peace. Don’t lose hope! Jesus loves you, and He draws near to You, even now. You may not receive help and healing during this life. But you can be assured that this is happening in your life for a reason, for your ultimate good, and for God’s glory. And you can look forward to the day when you will finally be free of all this world’s constraints, able to touch your Savior, and see Him face to face.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
