Health, Healing & Hope

HEALTH, HEALING AND HOPE

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” - Psalm 103:2-3

Good health is a gift from the Lord. He grants us this gift each moment. Like most of you, I tend to take this gift for granted. I must be honest and confess that I haven't taken my health seriously in the past. That is no longer the case.

Although good health is a gift from the Lord, He is not obligated to grant this gift to everyone all the time. Rather than feeling entitled to good health, we need to recognize it as the gift it really is and thank the One who provided it.

3 John verse 2 says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” I know that many will pin their theology around this verse. However, this is John's greeting of good will rather than a promise of prosperity and health. Notice he says, “I wish above all things...” This verse conveys John's wish, not God's promise. When I write a personal letter to someone, I will often begin by saying, “I hope this letter finds you and your family in good health.” This is basically what John is saying in this verse. Thus, we cannot use this as a proof text that it is God's will for everyone to be wealthy and healthy.

Sickness, disease and death exists in our world because of Adam's sin in the Garden. It is true that some people are suffering because of bad choices. For instance, cigarette smoking can bring long-term health problems years after a person quits. The same can be said of substance abuse and other unhealthy lifestyles.

But most cases of suffering cannot be directly attributed to bad choices. Covid has killed many. Cancer continues to kill the young and old. Heart disease remains a major problem. Alzheimer's disease is a sad reality for many.

Good health is not promised for everyone. People in the Bible suffered, including strong believers. Job suffered greatly. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. Timothy had a stomach ailment.

Since good health is not guaranteed, we must face these questions: Does God still heal? Is divine healing still possible? There are two extreme views on this issue. On one hand, there are some who feel that divine healing is a thing of the past. They think that supernatural healing died with the Apostles. On the other extreme are those who believe that divine healing is promised for everyone who has faith to receive it.

We have no evidence to prove that divine healing has ceased. There have been too many documented cases of healing to indicate that it still occurs. Many can testify that they have known cases of miracles … including myself. The Bible never declared that healing would cease at some point after the first century.

On the other hand, the Bible never guarantees healing either. In fact, the Apostle Paul prayed for his “thorn in the flesh,” be removed … but his request was denied. We find no record that Timothy's stomach ailment was healed. Paul simply gave him practical advice about treating his problem. In 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul mentions that he left Trophimus sick at Miletus. These men were not healed --- and it wasn't due to their lack of faith.

We must come to the conclusion, then, that God does heal, but does so after the counsel of His own will. God is sovereign. Although we don't understand all the details of His will, He is in control. He is greater than cancer. He is stronger than heart disease. He is God. He has the power to heal anyone of anything at any time.

So why doesn't He? Why do little children die? Why do the best saints seem to suffer the most? Why does He heal one person while dozens with the same disease perish? Doesn't God care? Of course He does. Yet there is more to the story than we can comprehend. He knows things we don't know. The details of His plans are so vast that our finite minds cannot comprehend them.

It is not wrong to ask God to heal someone. We should have the absolute confidence that He can do it. But also we should entrust Him with the outcome, whether it be healing or not.

Here's the sobering truth. Unless Jesus returns in our lifetime, none of us are leaving here alive. All of us will face death. We are currently dying. Since the Garden of Eden, death has prevailed over mankind. Thankfully, the story has shifted. Jesus came and defeated death, hell and the grave. He died on the cross to pay for our sins. His resurrection three days later guarantees the resurrection of every one who believes in Him. That is our blessed hope.

Our hope lies in the fact that one day, Jesus will return. In a split second, every believer will rise to meet Him. Whether we are dead or alive at that moment, we will rise to be with Him forever. In heaven, there will be no sickness or disease.

That is the happy conclusion every believer is longing for.

Pain & Praise

PAIN AND PRAISE

“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” - Job 1:20-21

How often do you sing? Daily? Weekly? Occasionally? I have to admit that I don't sing as much as I once did. Looking back, there were summer days when I would sit on the front porch swing and open a new Southern Gospel convention songbook, sight-read the music and sing brand new Gospel songs. I haven't done this in quiet some time. I used to sing a great deal when I drove. I still make positive use of my commute to and from work, but singing is not normally on the agenda. I need to get back to singing more often. Yes, I sing at church along with the congregation each time I'm at church, but I need to revive my private time of singing.

Singing should be more than a vocal exercise. Properly conducted, Christian singing should be offered as praise unto God. Praise, whether provided in song or words, is the process of vocally giving tribute and honor to God. You see, you can praise the Lord without singing and you can sing without praising the Lord. Praise is a means of adoration and reverence, issuing from a human heart. God is the target of this praise. He, alone, is worthy of such praise.

We tend to praise the Lord when things are going well. Problems and pain tends to suppress our singing. Yet God is good all the time. He is good on my good days and He is still good on my bad days. He is worthy of praise at all times. Every day is a good day to praise the Lord. Yet it is easy to say this when things are going well. 

When I have bad days, I am reminded of Job. He had some really bad days. I find comfort in the fact that someone has been through worse conditions that I am going through. Consider the magnitude of Job's problems: Job lost his health, his wealth, his children and was mistreated by his wife and friends. To make things worse, when Job prayed, it didn't seem like God was answering. When Job needed him most, God didn't seem to be available. Can you identify with this?

After hearing that his children had been killed, the Bible says, “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Grief, pain and uncertainty had suddenly come upon Job. Yet Job was resolved to praise the Name of the Lord in spite of his circumstances. That is a valuable lesson for all of us to remember.

If you only praise God during the good times, you are robbing God of praise He deserves. The goodness and grace of God should prompt us to praise Him. The truth is that God never changes. Our circumstances may change. The weather constantly changes. People may change. The stock market rises and falls. Jobs may come and go. Good health can't be counted on. But God never changes. He is still great. He is still good. He is still worthy of praise.

When I consider all the Job suddenly lost, it makes me feel better about my bad days. Yet Job continued to pray, serve God and praise Him. His faith was under attack by the enemy. Yet Job stood firm. Yes, he had questions. He struggled. Job really suffered. His situation seemed unbearable. God's silence was the worst part of his situation. Yet Job was resolved to praise the Lord.

What about us? If your health is taken away, never to return, will you still praise the Lord? If your spouse leaves you, will you continue to serve God? If your friends turn against you, will you let it rob you of your song?

My father passed away in 2020. A year or so before his death, he was in the ICU at the hospital, struggling with pneumonia, atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. We were visiting him on a Saturday evening. Knowing we were going to church the next day, he told us to praise the Lord at church. He said to praise the Lord even in the bad times. God blesses those who bless Him. Dad advised us that when things seem bleak, praise the Lord anyway.

That's what Job did. David did this, too. David wrote many of the psalms. Some of his psalms were written during times of uncertainty and despair. Paul & Silas praised the Lord as they were bleeding in a prison cell. It is always a good time to praise the Lord. Including right now.

Don't wait until you have a pain-free, care-free day. Praise the Lord today. He is worthy. You may find yourself being blessed in the process. Praise Him publicly. Praise Him privately. Worship Him alone.

Give your praise to an audience of One.

Suffering and Sovereignty

 SUFFERING AND SOVEREIGNTY

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” - Romans 5:3-5

Life is often difficult and painful. Following Jesus does not bring immunity to suffering. Some of the most notable saints have suffered greatly. None of us are promised a pain-free life.

Theologically, we understand that pain has come upon mankind because of Adam's fall in the Garden of Eden. Adam's sin brought pain and death to all of us. Yet we must confess that certain people seem to suffer more than others.

Skeptics would argue that either God is uncaring or unable to stop suffering. Neither accusation is true. God is aware of our suffering and cares about our pain. Yes, He can end suffering. One day He will.

For the committed Christian, pain is not a theological problem. While it is true that certain people suffer more than others, we do not argue or complain about this issue. We simply trust God with the things we don't understand. We know He can be trusted with all things, including our suffering.

Suffering may come in different ways. Many suffer physically because of disease or injury. Others suffer emotionally due to rejection, betrayal or personal loss. There are saints who struggle with depression and the suffering can be rather devastating. There are believers who wrestle with anxiety and panic attacks. Many are suffering today in our churches. Don't judge someone else's pain by your own experience. Their level of anguish may be far deeper than yours. Their capacity to handle pain may be far different from yours as well.

If you are suffering today, be assured that God knows about your pain. He knows how much you are suffering. He is available to hear your prayer. He has the power to bring relief. Take your case to Him. Also, enlist the saints around you. Have them pray with you about your needs. All of us need the prayers of others.

If God cares for us and can do all things, why does He permit suffering to continue in our lives? I cannot and will not speak on God's behalf. There is much I do not know. I can speak only from my experience.

One thing I've learned is that suffering is part of God's sanctification process. Isaiah wrote, “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10). Suffering can be part of God's pruning process, removing impurities from our lives. Just as heat melts away dross from a precious metal, the heat of affliction melts away sinful dross from within. Yet the sanctification process is more than just removing sinful things. It also includes shedding unproductive areas from our lives. It is impossible to grow in holiness without suffering.

Also, suffering makes us more like Jesus. While most believers desire to be more like Jesus, we don't always enjoy the process that may be required to move us in that direction. We have more empathy for others who suffer because of our own experience.

Suffering keeps us close to God. When life is easy and pain-free, we tend to drift a little here and there. Slowly over time, a distance grows between the Lord and ourselves. Pain has a way of reminding us of our need for the Lord. Suffering keeps us humble. Pain drives us to our knees. The promises of God get very precious to us when we are in pain.

Finally, suffering reminds us that this world is not our home. When we face pain and problems, we get a yearning for a better place. Apart from suffering, we tend to plant our roots too deeply in the soil of this world. Pain reminds us that we are not permanent residents of this world. We have reservations for a place far better than this. Our passion for heaven grows as we endure afflictions in this world.

God is in control of all things. He is very knowledgeable of your situation. He cares about you. Yet His concern runs deeper than the superficial concerns of daily life. His desire is for you to grow in holiness and become more like Jesus. Thus, suffering can be part of His plan. Realizing this, we should join with the Apostle Paul and say, “... we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

While God permits suffering in this world, it is only temporary for the child of God.