READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:42-49; 1 JOHN 3:2

Have you ever been involved in renovating a house? It’s usually pretty chaotic. Maybe there’s a constant dripping in the bathroom sink, the walls are covered with holes, the carpet is old and worn out—plus a long list of other things that need fixing! In the midst of the chaos, we hold onto the hope of how nice it’ll be once our home has had all the renovations it needs. Soon everything will be like new, all in working order as it should be.

That’s a good way for Christians to think too. In our world broken by sin, we see many tragic things that seem to have no end. This can be especially disheartening when it’s our own health that’s suffering—whether it’s our physical, mental, or emotional health.

Do you have a health problem that has you feeling discouraged? Perhaps you have a condition there’s no cure for here on earth. Jesus sees us in all our pain, and He weeps with us. In His great compassion, He comforts us, and He promises to make us new. Because Jesus stepped into our broken world and experienced pain and suffering in His own body, we can know that He empathizes with us. And because He died on the cross and rose from the dead for us, we can rest in Him, knowing that health problems are just a temporary situation. If our trust is in Jesus, we know that we will have perfect bodies someday when He returns and makes everything new.

Whenever you feel discouraged, you can come to Jesus. He cares about you so deeply, and He promises to return and make everything in this world free from sin and death—including our bodies! Then we’ll never have to deal with sickness or death ever again. We’ll be healed and whole in His wonderful presence. • A. W. Smith

• What things in our broken world have been weighing on you lately? How might those things change when Jesus returns? Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about them. Remember that He doesn’t pass over our pain; He grieves our hurts with us.

• When you need encouragement and support, who are trusted people you can reach out to, such as counselors, therapists, teachers, pastors, parents, etc.?

But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2b (NIV)