W4D1 Know Your Struggle

READ THE BIBLE

Luke 8:40

Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. ‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.’

But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’ While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ he said. ‘Don’t bother the teacher anymore.’ Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.’ When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother.

Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. ‘Stop wailing,’ Jesus said. ‘She is not dead but asleep.’ They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, ‘My child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

REFLECT ON WHAT IT MEANS

We all probably grew up with stories like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty and other typical children’s fairy tales. Lots of us, as children, may have dreamed of having a fairytale life. Fairy tales nearly all have the same ending, “and they all lived happily ever after.” Well, we’re all glad about the happy ending, but even fairy tales are stories with struggles. Cinderella may have found her prince in the end, but before that, she lost her mum at a young age and was bullied and oppressed in her own home for most of her childhood. If fairytale lives have struggles, how much more does normal, daily human life?!

In our Bible stories today we read about a normal family who had a huge struggle with their daughter’s situation and a woman who had been sick for years with no one able to heal or help her.

They were just ordinary people trying to get through life like everyone else, but they were experiencing some of life’s greatest difficulties.

There are many challenges and struggles in life for us all, especially in areas like health, family, relationships, finances and work. Often these struggles can be with us for years and seem to have no answer or solution.

The good news for us is this; although everyone has struggles in life we don’t have to be alone and without hope or help. This family and for this woman did something really sensible at the point of their deepest need. The had a simple but deep and life-changing insight; they realised they could turn to Jesus!

We call that “faith!” They knew where they could go to with their struggles to get help. The felt, (almost instinctively), that when they were with him, he would be able to do something no ordinary person could do. In fact, he did do something miraculous through God’s supernatural power and totally transformed their situations.

Human struggles, particularly very difficult ones that seem to have no answer, can be completely turned around by Jesus. He has the power and the willingness to help us. All we have to do is believe this and ask him.

RELATE IT TO YOUR LIFE

Pray. Tell Jesus your struggles, especially the hard ones. Tell him you know that he hears, he cares and he has the power both to change the situation and to give you peace and hope as well.

RESPOND WITH A DECLARATION

“Jesus cares and he is willing to help and heal me in all my struggles in life.”