When you find yourself in Helpless and hopeless Situations, it can be hard to see a way forward. The stories of Tobit, Sarah, and the prophet Ezekiel remind us that even in our darkest moments, faith can lead to incredible miracles. Tobit and Sarah faced deep struggles and sorrow, while Ezekiel witnessed a valley of dry bones come back to life. These powerful stories show us that God can bring hope and restoration, no matter how impossible things may seem. Join us as we explore how faith in hopeless situations can unlock the wonders of God in our lives.
We are worlds apart, but human pain and suffering make us one single family. The apostle Peter echoed this thought when he said, “…. our brethren all over the world are suffering the same thing.” If you have an incomplete bible, you may be wondering who Tobit and Sarah are. Tobit is the husband of a woman named Anna and the father of Tobias. He was a worshipper of God and a lover of his fellow countrymen.
A Journey from Despair to Hope
He was a Jew exiled to Nineveh in the country of Assyria. One day, during the Feast of Weeks, Tobit sat down to eat but not before sending out his son to seek out a poor man among his people to come share the meal with him. On coming back, Tobias reported to his father about the murder of their kinsman. Putting his meal aside, Tobit moved out at once and buried him after sunset. Then he sat down and ate his meal in sorrow.
That night because of the hot weather, Tobit slept by the courtyard wall leaving his face uncovered. Unknown to him sparrows were on the walls above his head. Their hot droppings fell into his eyes. The more he treated it, the worse it became and ultimately blinded
In the mind and on the lips there was no use worshipping God. There was no pain in being good and/or reaching out to those whom life has not been so pleasant to. Judging from the condition of Tobi, God was mean and nature was unkind. This was the situation Tobit found himself and thus decided to make this heart rendering prayer to God.
So, now, do with me as you will; he pleased to take my life from me; so that I may be delivered from earth and become earth again. Better death than life for me, for I have endured groundless insults and am in deepest sorrow…. Better death for me than life prolonged in the face of unrelenting misery, I can no longer bear to listen to insults”. (Tobit 3:6)
Death in this condition was better than life. This point to the depth of misery bottled up in some human hearts. That same day, in another location, in another house and from another gender, came yet another picture of a laddened heart.
Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, was insulted by one of her father’s maids. Sarah had been married seven different times, but each of the bridegrooms died before they came to live together. The chief cause of her misfortune was that she was possessed by the demon Asmodeus. The trouble was that this maid reminded her of her world and her fate. Unable to bear the insult and shame, she walked up to her father’s room with the singular intention of hanging herself.
However, love for her father caused her to show understanding and spare him the agony of a painful and untimely death. As an afterthought, she did better to take her shame, pain, and problem to God in prayer. She stood by the window, stretched out her hands, and uttered this. Prayer to God:
God’s Power in Hopelessness
“Yost are blessed, 0 God of Marcy! I have lost seven husbands already; why should I live any longer? If it does not please you to take my then look on me with pity; I can no longer bear to hear myself defamed.”
God was watching this double show of human misery, for in his presence, nothing goes unnoticed. The prayers of each of them found favor in the sight of God, and the angel Raphael was sent to minister to their needs.
It is worth noting that he who prays must have faith, he who makes supplications must have hope that God hears and does answer prayers: Ile who asks shall receive, he who seeks shall find and he who knocks shall have the door opened to him.
Do not kill yourself; do not develop a cold heart and feet in tracing your steps to the house of prayer. Leave everything to God’s wisdom and love. His hands are not short to save, and his ears are not deaf to the prayers of humility and trust. He who watches from a distance will always put his angels in charge of you.
God is good all the time. God is good everywhere and anywhere. God is good in all he does. Of him, David declared clearly: Now I am old I have never seen The Lord change!
Truly, he does not and will not
Ezekiel the prophet was shown a valley of bones. Hopeless bones. Useless bones. Wasted bones. Lifeless bones. Nameless bones. Humanly speaking, these dry bones can never live again. Impossible. God puts this question to humanity: Son of man, can these bones live? Ezekiel answered:
“0 Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” This answer shows the limitation of human knowledge. Human senses would judge this impossible. Science would equally rule this impossible.
But then, certain things are well beyond science and human intelligence. Yes, whereas man is finite, God is infinite. Whereas man is space and time-bound, God is eternal. Whereas man knows in bits and pieces, God is omniscient. God has the answer to any and every question. He alone has the solution to any and every problem. He knows what to do in any and every given condition or situation. Ezekiel leaves everything to God’s judgment. God unfolds his plans.
Only God knows where and how to get tissues and hearts. As well as tendons, flesh, and blood with which to defy medicine and shock the human senses. Do you know that heaven is the greatest donor of human blood and organs? Heaven donates generously the breath of life, not in cans of oxygen but in every vacuum. Do you know that impossibilities sometimes happen before human eyes?
The Red Sea parted ways before the Israelites. The Sun stood still in their sight. Fire fell before their eyes as Elijah battled the prophets of Baal. The prison walls shook before Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners. You may not know; in fact, you need not know when and how it will happen. God alone knows.
The miracle of possibilities has taken place before doubting Thomas: Doctors, Scientists, Judges, etc. As Ezekiel prophesied, the impossible happened before his very eyes.
– The bones began to move
– Each hone looked for its number, member and gender
– Sockets and joints began to lock and thread-like tendons sewed them together
– Raw and naked flesh appeared only to he covered soon after with beautiful and colorful skin
-young and smooth skin.
Resurrection of Hope
There was no life in them, for there was yet no breath in their nostrils and lungs. Ezekiel the prophet looked on, for no miracle has ever been left uncompleted. It is forever true that God who begins a good work brings it to completion. The miracle of possibilities says that these dry bones will rise again!
Soon again, God gathered breath from the four walls of the universe, and with it gave life to these descendants of Adam and Eve. The wonder of it all was that God was able to raise from this “heap of rubbish” a mighty army of faith. The dry bones were engineered into life by the breath of the Spirit of God. St. Paul captures this mindset in his letter to the Romans:
And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in You, he who raised Christ from the dead bodies through his spirit, who will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who lives in you (Rom 8:11).
The touch of the Spirit of God is the touch of life. This same Spirit will transmit power today to the dark corners of your life.
Summary
These amazing stories of Tobit, Sarah, and the prophet Ezekiel, open our eyes to how faith can shine in the darkest times. Tobit and Sarah faced deep sadness and challenges, feeling like all hope was lost. Yet, through their faith and prayers, they experienced God’s incredible healing and restoration.
Similarly, Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones coming back to life teaches us that no situation is too hopeless for God. These stories remind us that even when we feel stuck or broken, faith can lead to miracles and new beginnings. Join us in discovering how trusting God can transform our lives, no matter how tough things get.
