Hope is healing
By CHERYL CRUCE
It was exciting to step into the sanctuary on Sunday and see the beautiful Christmas decorations. The poinsettias were carefully placed, as were other items representing the season of the birth of Christ. There was the echoing sound of conversations regarding recent Thanksgiving meals, family gatherings, and the antics concerning the latest sporting events. The morning was filled with a warming of the hearts of friends as we came together in a shared faith of redemption and hope.
Sunday was the first day of the advent season. We lit the candle of Hope. The room was quiet; the proverbial pin hitting the floor could be heard as three generations of a family read its meaning.
I must admit my mind initially drifted during the reading, yet young Marlowe drew me in as he prayed. His prayer recognized the hope he found in God. He asked God to help him to trust when his faith was weak. He recognized God as a source of safety and a place of refuge. Hope! The innocence of his young voice resonated with a hope that carried on throughout the day.
Hope… Hope is healing. I have not met anyone who has not needed a healing touch from the God of creation. I love reading the scripture of the healing touch from Jesus.
Sometimes, people have great faith, bringing them to the Lord. “Lord, help us to trust.”
A blind man cried from the side of the road, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me; restore my sight.” Jesus healed the man’s eyes. The blind man had strong faith, and when the people around Jesus tried to silence him, he cried out even louder, “Lord have mercy on me” (Luke 18:38). The man had hope in the touch of the Lord.
Then there are those times when one should pray as Marlowe did when lighting the candle of hope; “Lord, help me to trust.” Sometimes our faith is weak, and we need to ask for help. Asking a fellow believer to take you to the Lord for healing will strengthen your faith. Coming together in faith will strengthen the candle of hope and cause it to burn brighter than before.
Scripture teaches that if any are sick among you, people of faith are to come together and pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:14). Sunday morning, we had an opportunity to pray for someone. The anointing and the prayer increased the individual’s faith. The presence of faith filled the congregation with hope. You could hear it in the voices, see it in their smiles. Hope is healing.
This world is filled with brokenness, and we often struggle with life’s curve balls. Nonetheless, God is our constant.
The same God that delivered us yesterday is the God that delivers us today. And He will be the God who provides for us tomorrow. He will not leave nor forsake His children. Let us choose to trust in Him. When our faith weakens, let us call upon our brothers and sisters in Christ to help strengthen us. We can choose to cast anxiety on the Lord and allow Him to care for us (1 Peter 5:7) or focus on this world’s chaos, silencing our hope.
Marlowe is right! God is hope, and we find our refuge in the Lord who created us.
We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:20-21
Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.