He Still Shows Up

In Mark 5 there is the story of a broken lady who suffered. In fact we learn that she suffered for twelve years. No matter what she tried she did not grow better but worse. She exhausted every means at her disposal to get better but nothing worked.

I wonder how many reading this are in the same spot. You are losing hope because things are not getting any better. You have prayed, quoted scripture, read books, sought counsel, prayed some more and waited on God. Still things in your life are bad. Life feels more like surviving than thriving. Each day is a chore to trudge through. Sleep is tormented each night. Then the whole cycle repeats and you begin to entertain thoughts that things will never change. Hope begins to wane like air in a punctured tire. You feel deflated and defeated.

I have been there too. All seems lost and there does not appear to be any hope. Suddenly, at times unexpectedly, Jesus shows up. I may have prayed for months and at times even years and suddenly Jesus shows up for me just like He did for the woman with the issue of blood. I have experienced this numerous times in my life. Because I have experienced this in the past I can have hope today.

Jesus still shows up in people's lives when they are broken, battered, and bruised. He still shows up with tender mercy and compassion to forgive when people make a wreck of their lives with bad choices. He still shows up with strong hands to pull the downtrodden back to their feet and lovingly take the burden from weary shoulders. Jesus still shows up for desperate people to give hope and peace to make it through another day and another trial. Jesus still shows up with power to heal, to deliver, to move, to save, to transform, and ultimately to bring glory to His name. He still shows up for the destitute with provision in His hands.

Jesus shows up for the lonely and forsaken with His companionship. He still shows up with strength to keep enduring for those exhausted. He still shows up with faith to keep hoping for the hopeless. He still shows up with shelter and refuge for those tossed in the tempest. He still shows up with support in the love of family, friends, and faith family from church. He still shows up.

That suffering woman in Mark 5 heard Jesus was passing through and she pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus' garment for healing. Jesus showed up for her with healing and she knew it immediately. She knew that what had tormented her for twelve long years had been healed.

Furthermore, Jesus showed up for others in having that woman tell the whole multitude what He had done for her. Through her testimony Jesus showed up in my life this morning as I wrote this and I trust He will show up later this morning when I preach her story for others. It is my prayer that Jesus is showing up in your life at this moment as you read this. He still shows up.