First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.

I Timothy 2:1, ESV

She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If I touch even His garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease... And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease."

Mark 5:27-28, 34, ESV

Wouldn't it be nice if we still lived in the age of miracles? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to just go to Jesus and have all of our problems instantly removed by His great power? 

Recently, we have been witnessing the after-effects of Hurricane Helene, with its massive flooding and terrible destruction. The images that have come out from the hurricane's toll have been overwhelming. We have seen the interviews of people who have lost everything - from their homes and businesses, even to their loved ones in some instances. We have heard these people question if there will ever be help that reaches them before it is too late. Millions are without power, without clean water, and without basic necessities such as dry clothing and simple medical supplies. In short, some of the people we have seen feel absolutely without hope, and some are beginning to give into that hopelessness.  

What can we do when all hope is gone?

There are times in all of our lives when we feel that hope is gone, but most of us can honestly say that it had never really vanished completely - we had just lost sight of it temporarily. While it is true that we do not have Jesus' physical presence to come in and miraculously take care of our physical needs on the spot, we have something that is still monumentally powerful: We have prayer! And while that seems a small consolation to those who are in the midst of the struggle who have lost their faith, for those who keep the faith it is of incredible comfort. In fact, it is not only the very thing that will keep them going, but it is the only thing that will bring them through to the other side.

And the hopelessness is not always limited to those directly impacted by difficulties such as this, for there are many people on the outside who would like to help those who are going through hard times. But what can we do? Such disasters are often too far away for us to help directly, so we cannot be there physically to help with their burdens. We may not have the money to help with aid, and even if we did, we might not be sure how to get it into the proper hands to allow the funds to assist in the way they need. So, again, what can we do?

The answer has always been God, and it has always been Jesus!

In one instance, when the disciples came to Jesus to have Him send away the crowds so that they could get them something to eat, Jesus told His disciples to feed them. When they pointed out to Him that there were thousands of people and that they only had a few small fish and a few loaves of bread, Jesus told them to bring both the food and the people to Him. So, herein are the first two parts of any solution to restoring hope in a hopeless situation: Do what you can with what you have and bring the people to Jesus. I realize that some will scoff at this idea but think about it for a moment. You cannot do more than that which is possible, and you cannot give more than you possess, so use what you have. 

Then, do the most important part: Pray! Pray for all people everywhere with all sorts of requests. Do so with the faith that assures you that God is powerful enough to do anything, so after you have done what you can, turn the rest over to God. And do your dead-level best to bring these people the soul saving message of the salvation of Jesus Christ! You cannot do this until you have proven your sincerity to them by doing what you can with your efforts and your possessions, but you will be surprised at how many are receptive to the Good News of Jesus Christ when they have lost all hope and when they have seen that you are willing to do what you can for their physical needs.

And if you really cannot do anything for their needs because you truly do not possess the opportunity or the resources, then go ahead and pray to God for His help. The fact is that when we have really and truly done all that we can, and when all that we have left to do is to pray and turn the rest over to God, that it is at these times we have the right to the greatest hope. For this has always been our most powerful hope when all else has seemed to fail: When no one else can help, God and Jesus can!

So, by all means, do what you can. Then pray for God's assistance, and especially that those who have yet to find the salvation of Christ for their own lives will be able to do just that. Someday, the hurricane and its destructive effects will be over... as will this physical life that we now are privileged to live. Let's do all that we can to survive both, but if we can successfully get through only one, let's make sure that we have taken care of the spiritual needs of ourselves and others. After all, what could we possibly experience in this physical life that is so horrible that we won't have put it completely out of our minds after the first five minutes of eternity?