Hope While We Wait

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then He put His hand on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. – (Luke 13:10-13, NIV)

He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn’t even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. When Jesus saw her, He called her over. ”Woman, you’re free!” He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God. – (Luke 13:10-13, MSG)

Around this time, He was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. A woman there had been sick for 18 years; she was weak, hunched over, and unable to stand up straight. Jesus placed His hands on her and suddenly she could stand straight again. She started praising God. – (Luke 13:10-13, VOICE)

 

At first, this passage made me curious as to what the woman had been suffering from for so long. After a bit of pondering, and reading a bit further, I realized there was so much to grasp from the story, that it really was irrelevant as to what caused her crippled state for so many years, but rather that on that particular Sabbath, she was healed. Not only was her long-awaited hope realized, but Jesus silenced the piousness of the synagogue leader, who claimed it was unlawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus, in His great wisdom, pointed out the purpose of the healing, and how it was far more important than watering an animal, which everyone did, even on the Sabbath. As His opponents were silenced, the woman who was healed could not contain her gratitude. She stood tall for the first time in eighteen years; with her hands extended toward heaven, she gave glory to God. I do wonder if she had shown up on that particular Sabbath hoping to be healed, or simply had come to hear the teaching of Jesus and be encouraged. Either way, Hope had come. After eighteen long years, she had been restored, and immediately, she gave all glory to God.

This both encourages and challenges me in this season. I woke at 2:30 this morning, for no apparent reason. Immediately, my thoughts went to my mom. I searched for the number to call the front desk at her senior living community to check in and see how she was doing, but the number I reached, rang off the hook. Defeated, I sat on the steps and prayed for her. Perhaps that was what I was meant to do all along; just pray. In the same way that healing came to that woman in the synagogue, I am contending for in my mom. God has done some miraculous work, as He spared her life and is actively restoring much of what was lost due to her stroke, yet I am continuing to pray for total healing – full and complete. God is good, and He is able to move and heal and grant hope; always. May we be encouraged to hold hope, even in the waiting, for God is good and His love endures forever.

 

Hope is the anchor,

To which we can hold;

Steady and secure,

Sure strength to behold.

For God is our rock,

When all else gives way;

He won’t be shaken,

By wind, storm or waves.

So, cling close to Christ,

All doubts, choose ignore;

God will be with us,

Beside and before.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the God who heals. Thank You that Your timing is perfect, even when the wait seems long. Forgive us for forgetting how incredibly powerful Your love is for each of us. Teach us to trust You more – both for healing and in the waiting. Show us how to love well, all those around us, with encouragement, strength and hope. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your incredible love that first heals hearts and then touches lives in countless other ways. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34

Seen and Known

When Jesus saw her, He called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” – (Luke 13:12)

A woman who had been crippled for eighteen years, to the point where she could not straighten up at all, happened to be in one of the synagogues on a Sabbath when Jesus was teaching. Jesus, in His love and compassion, saw the woman’s need, and called to her personally, and spoke aloud words of healing, wholeness and new life, right then and there. I imagine a woman who was never able to truly make eye contact with anyone because of her condition, yet here she was, called forward, by the Savior on the Sabbath. Did hope that had all but died at last rise up again as she made her way to the front? I envision that may have been the case, for her response to being healed was to “…immediately straighten up and praise God.” (vs. 13)

Jesus sees us in the same way. He knows our needs before we ask, and loves us so much, that He exchanged His life for ours. I wonder if the woman wrestled with the question of whether or not she should go forward where Jesus called? For many of us, that is the very thing that stands between us and that which Jesus is waiting to do in us or through us. We have to be willing to step forward where we are called, even in the moments of uncertainty. His plans for us are far greater than we could ever hope or imagine, so it is worth walking forward in obedience to where we are called. May we move when He says move, and stand tall and give Him praise both now and forevermore.

Bent over and bound,

we all have been there;

weighed down by the weight,

of all of life’s cares.

Each with hidden needs,

known well by the Lord;

Who’s willing to heal,

all grace He’ll afford.

It takes open ears,

a heart to respond;

as He calls our name,

His love goes beyond.

Beyond what we lack,

to our place of need;

in Him we are healed,

from burdens, we’re freed.

All glory to God,

Who sits on the throne;

He sets people free,

from bondage they’ve known.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You see us where we are, and know our every need. Thank You that we matter to You. Thank You that You call to us to come before You, so that You can heal us where we need it most. Forgive us for not seeking You, or for not willingly walking forward when You call us to come. Teach us to trust You more, as You are the giver of good gifts. Lead us to love others with the same kindness and compassion that You extend to us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be exalted O God, as we willingly walk forward where You call, and give You praise all the while. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us. – Psalm 67:1