2002-10-15
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
Today the Lord calls upon me to write about a subject with which I’ve had plenty of experience, illness and loss. It’s one of Satan’s fiery darts that challenges a person’s faith as much as any other one. And yet, God has words for us of great help in the Scriptures. One of the most commonly asked questions is: If God loves us, why does He allow us to suffer illness and loss? We can’t always answer that question directly, but we can have faith that it is never for an evil reason. The Psalmist in PS 139: 6 helps us to put perspective on this issue, although he is not able to give us that specific answer in PS 139: 6, “Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.” There is always IS 55: 8-9 which enlarges to some degree on this, taking it beyond the individual. “’My ways,’ says the Lord, ‘are not like yours, and My ways are different from yours. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.’” To gain God’s perspective isn’t always easy, because it calls upon us to do two very important things: 1) Know God well through daily time in His word and active prayer-the places where He really reveals Himself, and 2) have faith that whatever God allows to happen, it is for a righteous reason that is in our best long-term [eternal] interests. Yes, we have to come back to the issue of faith, because it is the basis for everything in a believer’s life.
Getting older increases our exposure to illness and loss. None of us like to think about these things, but they are realities of life. The loss of close relatives and friends is never easy. We must grieve those losses, and grieving is hard to do. I have a friend who is a nurse/paramedic working at a local hospital. She has told me that the difference in experience between a survivor dealing with the death of a loved one who has faith and one who has none is enormous. Those without faith struggle to accept what has happened. One such person took hours just to calm down afterward due to the feeling of utter helplessness and total loss. My friend called it oppression that came over this lady. On the other hand, people of faith are able to put the loss in the perspective of what they know from God’s word. JN 14: 2-4, “There are many mansions in My Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you; if this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so you will always be with Me wherever I am.” REV 21: 4, “He will remove all their sorrows; there will be no more death or sorrow, no more crying and pain. For the old world and all of its evils are gone forever.” This citation is particularly useful for those recently widowed. PS 4: 8, “I will lie down in peace and sleep, for though I am alone, O Lord, You will keep me safe.” People of faith handle the issue of dying with the grace God gives them, seeing it as the transition from our temporary “tent-dwelling” on earth to our permanent home in a place of joy and fellowship with the Father in heaven. What a different perspective that is than helplessness, emptiness, and misery!
I have had recent experience with illness and a scare with my eyes that caused me to be concerned I was going to lose my sight. I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease that while not terminal has certainly changed my life. The scare with my eyesight was unrelated to it, but happened just two weeks ago. Thankfully, it turned out not to be serious. It is my belief that Satan sent out a huge, fiery dart toward me, which God stopped with His mighty hand. There are two stories from the Bible that really gave me God’s perspective on illness. 2 COR 12: 7-9, [Paul speaking] “But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan’s messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked Him to take it away. But His answer was, ‘My grace is sufficient for My power is strongest when you are weak.’ I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me.” The other story is that of Christ healing the blind man in JN 9. His disciples asked Him if the man was born blind because he sinned. Christ’s answer in JN 9: 3 is forever imprinted in my heart. “His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parent’s sins. He is blind so that God’s power might be seen at work in him.” That answer has totally shaped my view of my own physical problems.
Wisely, Christ went on to say in JN 9: 4-5, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him Who sent Me; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light for the world.” As JN 9 continues, the Pharisees investigate the healing, which eventually leads to Christ’s discussion on spiritual blindness. JN 9: 36-38 is a compelling lesson to all of us about the power of faith. “The man answered, ‘Tell me Who He is, sir, so that I can believe in Him!’ Jesus said to him [the newly healed man] ‘You have already seen Him, and He is the one talking with you now.’ ‘I believe, Lord.’ the man said, and knelt down before Jesus. Jesus said, ‘I came to this world to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind.’” Out of context, that seems like a rather curious thing to say. But, Christ was talking about spiritual blindness that comes from not having faith in the last phrase of that sentence. What a powerful message for us!
PRAYER: O Lord, illness and loss are things that happen to each of us. Without faith, we would be foolish enough to get angry and blame You for them. But those of us who spend time in the Scriptures and have an active prayer life know better than that. You are an always-righteous Deity, Who would never bring evil upon Your children. PS 95: 1, “Come let us praise the Lord! Let us sing for joy to God, Who protects us!” In JER 30: 17, we who suffer illness are given a great message. “For I will restore health unto thee…saith the Lord.” David expressed his faith in God’s willingness to heal. PS 20: 6, “Now I know that the Lord save His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.” This is faith You have given us, if we will only call upon it. Dearest Abba, when someone is terminally ill, those with weak faith might ask: How do these citations apply to him/her? The answer is that when people of faith die physically; they slip peacefully into Your hands to dwell with You forever and walk streets of gold in heaven. They go home to those mansions that Christ told us about in JN 14: 2, their permanent home where You have fully healed them. Instead of feeling immeasurable sorrow that has no end, we can celebrate their lives on earth and take comfort in knowing they are in a better place with You. “I was once blind, but now I see” is one of the verses in the famous hymn, Amazing Grace. When You gave those words to its composer, John Newton, You were not only reclaiming his spiritual life, but You were doing the same for each of us. You truly are the Great Physician. You give us help in understanding illness and loss that comes from no other Source and is the most effective help we can get. Today, we come before Your altar to confess our sins and to offer You heartfelt adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, glory, honor, thanks and praise. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, I am led to look at another of Satan’s fiery arrows, worry. God has words or wisdom on this topic that will give us a totally different perspective than the one a faithless person has. This is another subject with which I admit to having plenty of personal experience. We must remember that the faith we have is indeed given to us by our Creator. Why we were chosen and someone else not to have faith is His sovereign and righteous decision. It is for Christ to judge and not us; it is for God to understand and not us at this time. The faith we have shapes our lives and brings us to the place where God can do what He loves to do best, shower us with His blessings. To this day, I will never forget Pastor Bruce Wilkinson’s story in his book, Secrets of the Vine, about the warehouse full of gifts. When the newcomer to heaven asks his angelic guide what they are, he is told, “These are all the blessings that God is waiting to give people who haven’t gotten around to asking for them yet.” Our God loves us so much that all we have to do is ask Him for them. Where else do we find love like that? Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn