One of the most beautiful pictures of God working through human illness and even using that illness to bring about His perfect work through His followers is in the story of Amy Carmichael.
Amy felt called to go into mission work in her teen years, and her heart was set on going to Japan. When she finally got to Japan, it became apparent that she couldn't stay. The climate agrivated some serious health problems and the mission organization forced her to go to India instead. Amy didn't plan to go to India - she had felt that Japan was her mission-field. But through a tender heart to God Amy began working in India to spread His love to this country. Amy was horrified by the common practice of selling children into temple prostitution, and eventually started a home called Donover where she would work to rescue these child slaves and give them a home. This home is still in existence today even though Amy died in the 1950s. The home for children is now run by former child slaves that were rescued by the ministry Amy began. Amy has literally saved hundreds of children in India from this dreadful trade of selling children into temple prostitution; but she never would have been in India if she had not become so ill while in Japan. God used her illness to get her right where He wanted her. (read the story of Amy in Elizabeth Elliot's book: "Chance to Die: The life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael")
In Galations 4:13 the Apostle Paul reminded the churches in Galatia that it was: "because of a bodily illness" that he had first preached the gospel to the Galatians. Paul clearly saw that sometimes God uses or allows physicall illness to lead us where He wants us to go. I have mentioned this passage and this concept before - but it bears repeating.
May I be willing and have enough faith to see that God can use my pain and illness to send me exactly where He wants me to be.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Not Alone
We are not alone in our suffering. I think that one of the major misconceptions when it comes to living with suffering in this world - is that this world is all there is. If this world is all there is, then suffering is unbearable. I have discussed this topic before in the blog, but it bears repeating. THIS WORLD IS NOT ALL THERE IS! This is one of the most comforting thoughts in the Bible. For those of us who have chosen to live a life given over to God - and who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have the hope and promise of heaven. (if you need help with finding the new life that is offered through Jesus Christ send me a message and I will help walk you through the Bible to find the truth and to make Jesus the Lord of your life)
Heaven. It's so much more than what we think of heaven or what heaven is portrayed as through movies etc. It isn't just a place where you sit on clouds all day playing a harp. Heaven will be many things that I don't think we can even immagine in our limited minds - but what I do know from Scripture is that heaven will be where I see my God face to face for the very first time. I know that there will be no pain, no tears, no darkness, no sin. Sometimes my heart longs for heaven so much that it takes my breath away. And the longing for heaven only makes me more motivated to live every moment I have on this earth to make a difference and to bring as many to heaven with me as possible - to bring others to see and savor the beauty of Jesus. But I am not alone in my deep longing for heaven. In fact, in 2 Corinthians 5 Paul talks about this very longing:
"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, ... For indeed while we are in this tent we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swollowed up by life. .. "
We are not alone. All through the ages followers of Jesus waited to see the redemption of the body - the end of this mortal life - and as Paul expressed, had a deep longing to be at home in heaven. But even more than that:
"For we know that all creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body" - Romans 8:22-23
ALL CREATION GROANS. We are not alone. We and even this earth, are waiting for the day when Jesus will return and take us to heaven - and make a new earth - uncorupted by sin and suffering. We will have new bodies - that never wear out or get sick or die. Some of us have been given pain which helps us remember that this earthly world is not our real home - we are uncomfortable here and I think that is a blessing. But every one of us humans, have some kind of suffering while here on earth. Let those pains and suffering be a continual reminder that this world is only for a short time, and our redemption will come someday, where every tear will be wiped away and every pain erased. Until then, let us live today with eyes for eternity to bring glory to our wonderful Savior and Redeemer, and to touch the lives we come into contact with, with Jesus Christ's love and grace. To make every moment count for eternity.
Heaven. It's so much more than what we think of heaven or what heaven is portrayed as through movies etc. It isn't just a place where you sit on clouds all day playing a harp. Heaven will be many things that I don't think we can even immagine in our limited minds - but what I do know from Scripture is that heaven will be where I see my God face to face for the very first time. I know that there will be no pain, no tears, no darkness, no sin. Sometimes my heart longs for heaven so much that it takes my breath away. And the longing for heaven only makes me more motivated to live every moment I have on this earth to make a difference and to bring as many to heaven with me as possible - to bring others to see and savor the beauty of Jesus. But I am not alone in my deep longing for heaven. In fact, in 2 Corinthians 5 Paul talks about this very longing:
"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, ... For indeed while we are in this tent we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swollowed up by life. .. "
We are not alone. All through the ages followers of Jesus waited to see the redemption of the body - the end of this mortal life - and as Paul expressed, had a deep longing to be at home in heaven. But even more than that:
"For we know that all creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body" - Romans 8:22-23
ALL CREATION GROANS. We are not alone. We and even this earth, are waiting for the day when Jesus will return and take us to heaven - and make a new earth - uncorupted by sin and suffering. We will have new bodies - that never wear out or get sick or die. Some of us have been given pain which helps us remember that this earthly world is not our real home - we are uncomfortable here and I think that is a blessing. But every one of us humans, have some kind of suffering while here on earth. Let those pains and suffering be a continual reminder that this world is only for a short time, and our redemption will come someday, where every tear will be wiped away and every pain erased. Until then, let us live today with eyes for eternity to bring glory to our wonderful Savior and Redeemer, and to touch the lives we come into contact with, with Jesus Christ's love and grace. To make every moment count for eternity.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Trust God's Hand
There is nothing quite like singing songs praising the one true God with 5,000 other women. While I stood there singing, I looked around me and was overwhelmed by the knowledge that God loves and knows each one of these women in the deepest and most personal way. He created each one to bring glory to His name and He knows the circumstances that make each one cry. He knows the personal pain that they don't even tell their closest friends. And above all of that: He can be trusted to do what is best even in suffering that we all face in this life.
Over the weekend I had the great joy of attending the Women of Faith conference with two beautiful godly women who were in my group and gave me the opportunity to come and just rejoice in the time away from ordinary life seeking the face of my Redeemer and Lord. For those women I am so filled with gratitude! And for my husband, who took over with my responsibilities here at home so that I could get away, I am so grateful.
Probably the biggest thing I came away with was a renewed passion for TRUST in a God who knows just what we need, and who sees more than we can see with our limited vision on this earth. Long ago I heard someone say that trust is gratitude and that trust is the most pure form of worship. When we are truly and totally grateful for all that God has given us in Himself we cannot help but lay down our defences and trust Him totally. When we trust Him totally - when we put our very lives into His hands for Him to do what is best we are truly worshipping Him in everything we do. Many of us have learned to put up walls to keep from having to trust - and in the area of suffering and chronic pain and health issues it is no different. Why would I trust a God who allows sickness and pain to be part of my every day? There is no way that the suffering in the world is understandable or redeemable if we do not believe with everything in us that this world is only a part of our existence. The Bible is full of reminders that this world is not our real home and one of the most comforting passages pointing us to endure suffering while we are here in light of what is to come is in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 " Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." This world is not all there is! Everyone suffers in some way, in fact Jesus told his closest friends on earth that "In this world you will have trouble - but take heart for I have overcome the world." When we understand that we follow a God who sees much more than we can see and who loves us so much we can relax in spite of pain and rest in trust. He is so worth it.
I am not saying that God never heals - it is clear that He does at times heal physical, emotional, mental illnesses. When He heals we need to give Him all the glory. And when He choses for whatever reason, to not heal in the way we ask Him to - we need to also give Him all the glory. He is God and totally worthy of our trust in everything.
Over the weekend I had the great joy of attending the Women of Faith conference with two beautiful godly women who were in my group and gave me the opportunity to come and just rejoice in the time away from ordinary life seeking the face of my Redeemer and Lord. For those women I am so filled with gratitude! And for my husband, who took over with my responsibilities here at home so that I could get away, I am so grateful.
Probably the biggest thing I came away with was a renewed passion for TRUST in a God who knows just what we need, and who sees more than we can see with our limited vision on this earth. Long ago I heard someone say that trust is gratitude and that trust is the most pure form of worship. When we are truly and totally grateful for all that God has given us in Himself we cannot help but lay down our defences and trust Him totally. When we trust Him totally - when we put our very lives into His hands for Him to do what is best we are truly worshipping Him in everything we do. Many of us have learned to put up walls to keep from having to trust - and in the area of suffering and chronic pain and health issues it is no different. Why would I trust a God who allows sickness and pain to be part of my every day? There is no way that the suffering in the world is understandable or redeemable if we do not believe with everything in us that this world is only a part of our existence. The Bible is full of reminders that this world is not our real home and one of the most comforting passages pointing us to endure suffering while we are here in light of what is to come is in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 " Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." This world is not all there is! Everyone suffers in some way, in fact Jesus told his closest friends on earth that "In this world you will have trouble - but take heart for I have overcome the world." When we understand that we follow a God who sees much more than we can see and who loves us so much we can relax in spite of pain and rest in trust. He is so worth it.
I am not saying that God never heals - it is clear that He does at times heal physical, emotional, mental illnesses. When He heals we need to give Him all the glory. And when He choses for whatever reason, to not heal in the way we ask Him to - we need to also give Him all the glory. He is God and totally worthy of our trust in everything.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)