O Israel, you have destroyed yourself, but in Me is your help.....I will ransom you from the power of the grave; I will redeem you from death. O death, I will be your plagues; O grave, I will be your destruction. Hosea 13:9, 14
Sometimes we call on God for healing and He does so. And we are thrilled and grateful. Sometimes we call on God for healing and He does not. And we are crushed.
Who knows the mind of God? We fall so short of having any grasp of why God moves the way He moves. Why He sometimes says yes, sometimes no and sometimes wait. I think I like wait the least of the three.
But here's something not only to remember in times of struggle with illness, but something to cling to: God will defeat death. God will overcome death. God will master death.
God will destroy death.
No more pain, no more sorrow, no more heartache, no more tears.
The destruction of death means one thing for those will believe in Jesus.
Life.
What are your thoughts on this passage?
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Illness 6
LORD, You preserve the simple. I was brought low and You helped me....I will walk before You, LORD, in the land of the living. Psalm 116:6, 9
When is the last time you've been brought low? Of course, we don't have to consider the question, "Have you ever been brought low?" because it is a given that we all have.
Life does that to us. It knocks us down. It humbles us. Sometimes, it crushes us.
Especially when we struggle with illness.
But God has the answer. As always, He gives us exactly what we need. We are not always blessed with being immediately delivered.
But He goes a step further than that anyway.
He preserves us.
How does this scripture strike you?
When is the last time you've been brought low? Of course, we don't have to consider the question, "Have you ever been brought low?" because it is a given that we all have.
Life does that to us. It knocks us down. It humbles us. Sometimes, it crushes us.
Especially when we struggle with illness.
But God has the answer. As always, He gives us exactly what we need. We are not always blessed with being immediately delivered.
But He goes a step further than that anyway.
He preserves us.
How does this scripture strike you?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Illness 5
You, LORD, will deliver me in time of trouble. You will preserve me and keep me alive, and I shall be blessed upon the earth, and You will not deliver me into the will of my enemies. LORD, You will strengthen me upon the bed of lauguishing. You will restore me on my bed of sickness. Psalm 41:1-3
Deliver. Preserve. Blessed. Strengthen. Restore.
Look at the words in this passage! Can you imagine more powerful words being spoken about you from your Creator?
In our time of trouble, in our dark night, we have a God who not only loves us, not only cares for us, not only hurts with us...but who promises to deliver us, to preserve us, to bless us, to strengthen us and to restore us.
God is telling us in no uncertain terms to take heart. We can't win the battle.
But He can.
How does this scripture strike you?
Deliver. Preserve. Blessed. Strengthen. Restore.
Look at the words in this passage! Can you imagine more powerful words being spoken about you from your Creator?
In our time of trouble, in our dark night, we have a God who not only loves us, not only cares for us, not only hurts with us...but who promises to deliver us, to preserve us, to bless us, to strengthen us and to restore us.
God is telling us in no uncertain terms to take heart. We can't win the battle.
But He can.
How does this scripture strike you?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Illness 4
Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord shall raise them up. James 5:14-15
The elders' prayers will save the sick.
Is there a difference between saving the sick and healing the sick? Yes. Sometimes the recipient receives both saving and healing. Sometimes not.
But the clear fact here is that James is pointing out that there are things worse than physical illness. Like spiritual illness.
The prayer of faith will save the sick. Why don't we do this much more often?
What is your take on this passage?
The elders' prayers will save the sick.
Is there a difference between saving the sick and healing the sick? Yes. Sometimes the recipient receives both saving and healing. Sometimes not.
But the clear fact here is that James is pointing out that there are things worse than physical illness. Like spiritual illness.
The prayer of faith will save the sick. Why don't we do this much more often?
What is your take on this passage?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Illness 3
He bore our sins in His own body on the tree so we, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness. By His stripes, we are healed. 1 Peter 2:24
There's the word we're after when we are struggling with illness: Healed.
After a certain point in the torture and crucifixion, there was no doctor that would've been able to heal Jesus' body. It was too far gone.
And yet, the great paradox of the crucifixion is that it healed us! The torture that killed Jesus' body healed our souls! The agony of Jesus served an important purpose. He certainly didn't want it to happen, right? He even asked God to not let it happen. Three times He asked.
But the answer was no. His suffering served a purpose.
In the middle of illness, we are focused on the cure. And understandably so.
But it would also be healthy to consider what purpose it might serve. Might it serve a purpose of getting our attention off of something we had focused on that wasn't good for us? Might it serve a purpose of allowing us to demonstrate faith to some person around us?
We all want to be healed. And ultimately, the sacrifice of Jesus does that for us.
But in the meantime, until our bodies are healed on this earth, it might be worth praying for God to show you a purpose the illness can serve.
That purpose very well could save another person's life. Or maybe even their soul.
What is your response to this verse?
There's the word we're after when we are struggling with illness: Healed.
After a certain point in the torture and crucifixion, there was no doctor that would've been able to heal Jesus' body. It was too far gone.
And yet, the great paradox of the crucifixion is that it healed us! The torture that killed Jesus' body healed our souls! The agony of Jesus served an important purpose. He certainly didn't want it to happen, right? He even asked God to not let it happen. Three times He asked.
But the answer was no. His suffering served a purpose.
In the middle of illness, we are focused on the cure. And understandably so.
But it would also be healthy to consider what purpose it might serve. Might it serve a purpose of getting our attention off of something we had focused on that wasn't good for us? Might it serve a purpose of allowing us to demonstrate faith to some person around us?
We all want to be healed. And ultimately, the sacrifice of Jesus does that for us.
But in the meantime, until our bodies are healed on this earth, it might be worth praying for God to show you a purpose the illness can serve.
That purpose very well could save another person's life. Or maybe even their soul.
What is your response to this verse?
Monday, September 6, 2010
Illness 2
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and your staff comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Fear.
Illness strikes fear into the hearts of those who are struggling with it and fear into the hearts of their loved ones around them. Because what illness does is bring us face to face with the unknown.
Now the fact is, we're surrounded by the unknown with every breath we take, but we don't really come to grips with it until we experience serious illness. And serious illness sometimes brings us into the valley of the shadow of death, doesn't it?
God Himself wants us to know something very important: We do not walk there alone. Our loved ones do not walk there alone. He will never forsake us. His love for us never ceases or even diminishes.
And because of that, His desire is that we lay our anxieties on Him. That we trust Him. That we rest in Him. His desire for us is clear.
No fear.
What does this verse bring to your mind?
Fear.
Illness strikes fear into the hearts of those who are struggling with it and fear into the hearts of their loved ones around them. Because what illness does is bring us face to face with the unknown.
Now the fact is, we're surrounded by the unknown with every breath we take, but we don't really come to grips with it until we experience serious illness. And serious illness sometimes brings us into the valley of the shadow of death, doesn't it?
God Himself wants us to know something very important: We do not walk there alone. Our loved ones do not walk there alone. He will never forsake us. His love for us never ceases or even diminishes.
And because of that, His desire is that we lay our anxieties on Him. That we trust Him. That we rest in Him. His desire for us is clear.
No fear.
What does this verse bring to your mind?
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Relying on God when dealing with illness
Why are you so downcast, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God. Psalm 43:5
"I've done everything I can do. All I can do now is just pray."
Have you ever heard someone say something like that? Have you ever said something like that?
Isn't it funny how we often look to prayer or to God as a last resort, after we've exhausted every other avenue we can? I wonder how that makes God feel, when His promises are eternal and His power is over all, that we keep trying our own little cures?
He is the health of my countenance. In other words, whether I get better physically or not, when I turn it over to Him, I get better, regardless.
What do you think about this passage?
"I've done everything I can do. All I can do now is just pray."
Have you ever heard someone say something like that? Have you ever said something like that?
Isn't it funny how we often look to prayer or to God as a last resort, after we've exhausted every other avenue we can? I wonder how that makes God feel, when His promises are eternal and His power is over all, that we keep trying our own little cures?
He is the health of my countenance. In other words, whether I get better physically or not, when I turn it over to Him, I get better, regardless.
What do you think about this passage?
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