3 Things To Do When You Are Desperate

Have you ever been desperate for help in your life? What do you do when you have a problem, and every possible solution you try fails you? You have tried all you can do with your own strength but nothing works; You even try to get friends and family to help you with your problem, but nobody can help you through your trials and affliction. When in such a situation, it can be very easy to give up hoping that things will get better. It can also be very easy for one to give up on life.

However, the Bible talks of a woman who had a disease and who was desperate for help after having tried all that she could on her own and still failed.

Mark 5:25-26 NKJV
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

The Condition of The Woman with the Issue of Blood

• It is believed that the type of illness that this woman had for twelve years was perhaps a type of chronic cancer or tumor of the uterus.
• Her illness had caused her to continuously lose blood and therefore she would constantly be in a weak, frail and overwhelmed state.
• She was socially alienated because of the custom / tradition at that time. Her issue of blood was perceived as being “unclean” and therefore most likely caused her to be constantly isolated from society and from family. (Leviticus 15:19-30 NKJV). Everything and everyone she touched became ceremonially unclean, so she would have been shunned by everyone, including her family and friends.
• Her illness had caused her much affliction. Therefore she was frequently in physical pain. Therefore whenever you are in a state of unending physical pain, this will begin to have some negative effect on your mental and emotional state.
• Her finances had suffered because of her illness. She had spent all the money she had on getting treatment from doctors but no physician could successfully help her with her affliction.
• Her problem grew from bad to worse. Clearly her illness was going to kill her.

In summary: Her health was failing; the experts had failed her; her finances had failed her; her friends & family had failed her; and society had failed her.

Mark 5:27-29 NKJV
When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

Despite the physical pain; despite the failures; despite the isolation from society; despite the financial meltdown; despite the mental and emotional anguish, during her 12 years of affliction, this woman did not lose at least 3 important key principles & characteristics that were pertinent to her receiving her breakthrough from her afflictions.
Even in her desperation she still showed the following 3 positive attributes from which we can learn:

1. Don’t Give Up – This woman did not want to give up looking for a solution to her problem. She never resigned to the notion that her illness was not curable. All her doctors had failed to cure her for 12 years, and the doctors had probably given up trying to help her. This woman “heard about Jesus” and so therefore she was not going to waste an opportunity for Jesus to help her. There are some people in life who have “heard about Jesus”, but whenever they have problems, they do not come to Jesus. They would rather focus on resolving issues with their own strength and influence; There are some people who have “heard about Jesus” but they do not believe that Jesus can help them in their time of need. Even under desperate circumstances they don’t believe that Jesus has the power to help them and so they seek help elsewhere or they give up hoping. When this woman “heard about Jesus”, she wanted to go to Jesus; she believed that Jesus would fulfill her exact needs. (Read also Luke 18:1-8 NKJV)
2. Be Bold & Courageous – Remember that because of her issue of blood, this woman was considered to be “unclean” by society & by law and therefore she was not supposed to have any physical contact with anyone. She was supposed to be isolated from the public, because if anybody touched this woman, that person who touched her would also become ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:19-24 NKJV). This woman however showed boldness and courage by ignoring the potential backlash from the multitude of people that followed Jesus. When she saw Jesus, this woman did not feel embarrassed about her uncleanness but rather went through the multitude to approach Jesus so that she can receive her healing. As she went through the crowd to approach Jesus, she told herself “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Sometimes in our own lives, do we fear achieving our goals and doing the right thing because we fear what other people will say? Are we afraid of standing up for the right thing even if it is not the popular thing? Do you fear being ridiculed and embarrassed or are you bold like this woman who had the issue of blood? (Read also Joshua 1:9 NKJV)
3. Have Faith in God – This woman had faith that Jesus would heal her simply by touching His garment. Therefore despite being failed by money; despite being failed by doctors; despite being failed by society; this woman did not lose her faith in God. She believed that Jesus would heal her. She believed that Jesus would not fail her. This woman was going to die from her illness and she had lost many things in her life, but this woman was not going to give up her hope and her faith that God would heal her. (Read also Mark 11:22-24 NKJV)

Sometimes when we are in a desperate situation – we may not have the money; our friends & family may have failed us; the experts who could help us may have given up on us – however even under such desperate circumstances – the only thing that you can hang onto is your FAITH in God. Your only choice is to have faith and let God do the rest.

Mark 5:30-34 NKJV
And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?'” And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

This woman was made well by her faith in Jesus. She finally believed that only Jesus would help her. Her faith in her finances failed; her faith in the doctors failed – but her faith in Jesus did not fail.