Only Jesus
May 27, 2024 — Laura House
I remember an incident early in my grief journey that became a pivotal moment for me. While driving to work one morning, I was having a particularly difficult time with grief. Mourning deeply, I began to feel desperate to talk with someone, to pour out the cries of my broken heart. In my anguish, I thought through my mental list of prospective phone call recipients. One by one, they were eliminated. Some were also deeply grieving the loss of Nathan, and I didn’t feel like compounding their sorrow unannounced. Others were likely at work and could not take my call.
Becoming more and more distressed, I cried out loudly, “Who can I call?!”
At that moment, an overwhelming sense of the Holy Spirit filled my mind with a loud reminder, “You can talk to Me! I am with you.” I remember feeling a little sheepish that I had gone through my list of humans, before turning to Jesus.
Recently, I have been struck with the determination of so many people in the Bible who turned to Jesus and didn’t stop until they found Him. They knew that only Jesus could provide what they needed. In these instances, He provided earthly healing.
Mark 5:25-34 details the woman who had bled for twelve years. This ailment would’ve made her unclean, and an outcast in society. She believed that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment as He walked by her, that she would be healed. And He did.
Jairus’ determined to have Jesus come to see his sick daughter. He knew He could heal her. And He did. (Jesus actually raised her back to life!)
Bartimaeus, the man who had been blind from birth, cried out to Jesus as he heard Him passing by. He knew He could heal him. And He did.
Remember the lame man on the mat? When his friends couldn’t get into the crowded house where Jesus was teaching, they went up onto the roof and opened a section, then lowered the man down in front of Jesus. They knew He could heal him. And He did.
I was not looking for healing when I was prompted by the Holy Spirit. However, these stories of Jesus healing others give me assurance that He is with us and wants us to come to Him in faith.
Whether He provides healing while we are still on earth or carries us through suffering and we are healed in Heaven, He loves us. He is with us. He will never leave us.
In the middle of earthly life and the hardships and suffering we face, let us remember that the only One who can truly comfort our broken hearts is Jesus.
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Phillipians 4:5b-7
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. — Psalm 23:4
