How do you find hope and healing during difficult times? The key is to have a Biblical perspective for your situation and emotions. This can be challenging, but finding hope and healing during difficult times is possible with God’s Word and a strong Biblical community.
Let’s look at 2 Bible passages about hope and healing during difficult times.
Jesus Restores and Heals Jairus’ Daughter
In Mark 5, Jesus was approached by a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus. Jairus had lost hope that his daughter, who was at the point of death, could be healed by any physician. Jairus knew she needed the Healer. He begged Jesus, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live” (Mark 5:23).
Jesus went with him to heal his sick daughter, but someone interrupted their journey—the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus stopped and recognized that “power had gone out of Him.” The woman with the issue of blood who had touched His garment–when He felt power go out from Him–trembled and fell down before Him. She admitted to touching His clothes.
Jesus then said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction” (Mark 5:34).
As you can imagine, the interruption likely provoked an emotion of fear, frustration, and doubt in Jairus.
Perhaps Jairus thought…
- Jesus, what about hope and healing for my situation?
- Jesus, have you forgotten where we are headed?
- Jesus, don’t you know we have to hurry? My daughter is about to die! This woman has been sick for years, can’t You come back to her later?
Jairus was then approached by those who were caring for his sick daughter. They informed him she had died and to stop troubling Jesus any longer for healing.
Jesus’ response is an encouragement if you struggle with hope and healing…
- “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe.’”—Mark 5:36 (emphasis added)
Jesus didn’t tell Jairus what He was about to do. He simply commanded him not to be afraid and to believe. He wanted Jairus to understand fear and faith do not walk together.
They entered Jairus’ home and sent extended family, friends, and caretakers away. Jesus commanded the little girl to arise.
Immediately she arose and walked!
Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
In John 11, Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus, was sick. Lazarus was Mary and Martha’s brother. Jesus was very close to this family, and Mary and Martha sent messengers to tell Jesus about their brother. They didn’t doubt His ability to heal.
Jesus responded with this…
- “’This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”—John 11:4-6
Again, similar to Jairus’ story, Mary and Martha likely wondered why Jesus didn’t quicken His pace to Bethany. But Jesus waited two more days.
We aren’t told what thoughts and emotions these sisters struggled with, but certainly, there was impatience and confusion.
They could have thought…
- Jesus, You love Lazarus. Why don’t You heal Him now?
- Jesus, I sat at Your feet, hanging on every word You spoke (Luke 10:39), and I don’t understand why You wait to heal?
- Jesus, I helped make all the preparations, opening up my home when You visited (Luke 10:40). Don’t You care that I feel hopeless?
After the two days, Jesus told the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” They responded with worry and anxiety. They feared the Jews in Judea would stone Him.
We can imagine Mary and Martha were also anxious, and at this time, mourning too. Lazarus had already died.
Martha honestly stated her disappointment and her trust when Jesus got there, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You” (John 11:21). Jesus responded, “Your brother will rise again.”
Do you ever feel like you are stuck between disappointment and trust in God? Martha heard what Jesus said and knew that her brother would rise again in the resurrection. But she wasn’t confident that Jesus would heal him and raise him that day.
However, despite her disappointment, she demonstrated faith.
Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, emphasis added).
Martha responded with a yes and proclaimed who Jesus was. But Martha looked at hope and healing—the resurrection and the life—as some far-off future event.
Jesus challenged her to think differently. He was those things she was looking for, hope and healing. While she was looking for them to be manifested in her brother, Jesus was saying, “It’s actually Me you are looking for!” He wanted her to trust Him as the source of all hope and healing… right now, not just in the future.
Jesus did heal and raise Lazarus from the dead that day, but don’t miss the beauty found in His specific words to Martha. These words are meant to bring you comfort—hope and healing in difficult times.
The Takeaway
The enemy can use your difficult situation and negative emotions to speak lies to you, such as, Jesus has forgotten you, His healing is delayed, or all is lost.
What does Jesus say to do in response? Don’t be afraid, only believe.
Before Jairus could trust, he had to step away from fear. Jesus told him to believe. Sometimes we complicate belief. We want to believe and try to figure it all out. We want to believe and make sense of our circumstances. But Jesus’ words are simple—only believe.
Jesus wants us to see Him as the source of hope and healing and to know we can experience this healing now—not at some point in the distant future.
When hope and healing during difficult times feel so far away, interrupted, or forgotten, focus on the words of Jesus. Find community that can speak His truth to you.
Just as Jairus and Martha didn’t know exactly how hope and healing would look or come to be, neither do we. But we can trust in God’s Word that says He desires to heal every hurt and bind every broken heart. We can trust we can experience healing on this side of heaven.
Need prayer for hope and healing in difficult times? We’d love to come alongside you in prayer. Click here and let us know your prayer needs.
“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:11
