"So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy."
Deuteronomy 5:32-33
"Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT
But what about those good people, carefully following the ten commandments, who die young?
Jesus was perfect and He died a horrific death at a young age.
What about good people who suffer ongoing sickness?
I've heard the comment, "God must be mad at me," which is definitely a lie from hell.
But honestly, I don't have a pat answer for you.
"Then you will live long and prosper in the land you are about to occupy."
The Man, Christ Jesus, obeyed the Ten Commandments.
"But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man." Isaiah 52:14
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
Plus, He willingly suffered at the hands of evil people.
After He suffered and died, He rose from the grave, triumphant.
If you pattern your life after Jesus, continuing to say, "Not my will, Lord, but Thine be done", your life will be long and prosperous in the land you are about to occupy. Either your Spiritual Promised Land here on earth, or your Promised Land in Heaven. Maybe both.
What about chronic illness? Should you continue to pray for healing after years of no noticible changes? I would say yes. Pray for healing. Also, pray for guidance for the doctors and for yourself.
At the same time, Pray for God's perfect will in your life.
For years I had a chronic health challenge. I was constantly having flare-ups that included debilitating pain. I tried everything, including changing my diet to avoid trigger foods, to no avail.
As I was lying in bed one day, I wrote a prayer.
"Dear Jesus, I am desperate. I feel like the blind beggar by the side of the road. I am begging right now. I need a healing touch from You. Please have mercy on me. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN."
I put it in my bedside table drawer.
I don't remember exactly when it happened, but shortly after I wrote the note to God, I remembered a medication I had taken many years before for anxiety. I researched it online. I found that it is sometimes prescribed to relax organs inside the body. I obtained the lowest dose prescription and I am now totally pain free.
Sometimes, God doesn't heal right away. Sometimes He heals by using doctors. Sometimes He heals with surgery. Sometimes He heals instantly. Sometimes He doesn't heal in this life, but He heals in the life to come.
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
I choose to pray for total healing for my circle of loved ones. At the same time, I choose to trust God's mysterious ways.
Bottom line is, it's about the soul. The soul will live forever somewhere. If pain and suffering are what is necessary for me to enter into Heaven, then I must accept it gladly. Which is easy to say, but almost impossible to do.
"Dear Jesus, Your word is reminding me of a few things this morning. I desire to follow Your commandments. All of them. This is hard, but Your mercies are new every morning. I will continue to clean out my heart with tears every morning. I will continue to pray for complete healing for everyone in my life. However, I will add, "Not my will, but Thine be done." Thank You for loving me in the middle of my mess. You are the God of restoration. You are the God of transformation. You can heal in an instant, but sometimes You choose to heal slowly. And sometimes, You choose not to heal in this life, but in the life to come. Thank you that I don't have to understand. Thank You that I can simply lay everything and everyone at Your nail scarred feet. How I love You, Jesus, AMEN."
absolutely a great prayer. Thanks for this post, Sis. Vicki
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement!
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