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Read: Matthew 9:20-23
Listen: Matthew 9

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. Matthew 9:20

She’s gone to all the doctors. She’s spent lots of money. But her health keeps getting worse. Twelve years is a long time to suffer without answers. One failed remedy after the other eats into her financial resources. Yet, she still trusts God after twelve years of suffering and looks to Jesus.

Many of us can identify with the woman’s plight in the story. We have endured something as draining, or we are currently doing so. Something that required us to seek many opinions, cost us our financial security, wrecked our mental health and may have gotten worse, not better. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat life. It’s refreshingly honest. Life can be hard, and easy solutions are rare. One question asked in the book of Psalms is “How long?” (Psalm 13:1-6). It’s likely a question we’ve asked God. How long will you let it go on? How long will I struggle with it? How long will I have to see them hurting? We don’t have to shy away from asking God this question. Psalm 13 is a great example of taking struggles to God. It starts with the question and ends with trust. The author chooses to trust God even amid the struggle. It’s a choice we can make, too.

TODAY: Open your journal and write “How Long?” at the top of the page. Reflect on what makes you ask God that question in this season. Honestly tell God how you feel about those circumstances and ask him to move in them. Then, write about trusting God. Ask him to help you trust him even more.

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Read Ezekiel 41-42. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Observe the detailed temple measurements. Think about how Jesus fulfills the temple system (Revelation 21:22).