I've been praying for a lady I don't know named Heather.
Why, you may ask, would I be praying for somebody I don't know? Because God has moved my heart with compassion for her and for her family is the only thing I can reply.
Heather has a tumor on her brain and is currently wisely seeking for medical expertise. Heather is a Christian woman with a strong faith.
Why does God choose to allow some people to walk through extremely difficult circumstances?
I don't know.
Why does God allow the same people that have had one difficult circumstance to go through another, and maybe another, and maybe another... maybe what seems like a lifetime of one thing after another?
I don't know.
Why does God allow His saints, His people to endure these kinds of difficulties?
I don't know this either.
As an example, we have personal friends that have had many difficult things in their lives over the past many years: Multiple Sclerosis, cancer, tumor, family estrangement, other medical problems.
Sometimes it just seems like it will never end. I know from the Bible that God does not impose these circumstances on His people, but I believe from reading Job that if it occurs, it is because He permits it; and from reading Jeremiah 29:11, that there is a purpose in it.
These people are strong, well-grounded believers in God; they believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came in the flesh as dwelt as a man; that He died for the forgiveness of our sins as the perfect atoning sacrifice; and that He rose again from the dead three days later and after appearing to those who had known Him, He ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God the Father.
Then I consider that there many others that believe the same, but for some reason are not touched directly by these seemingly overwhelming trials. I am humbly grateful to fall in this category. Thank You Father God.
Jesus, it says in Your word that Your heart was moved with compassion for those that came seeking You and for the healing You have the power to give: paralytics, blind, sick, diseased, oppressed and possessed by demons; even the dead. You touched them and healed them and made them completely whole and set them free. Oh Lord, we long to see Your glory fall in these days for healing and deliverance. We desire to see Your majesty manifest in these days that many souls would come to know You and worship You. We live in a lost and dying world that desperately needs the hope and life that ONLY YOU can give. Come Lord now in these days and display Your power for all the nations to see. Lord we need You! And Lord... I love You!
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4 comments:
You know, I'm much more peaceful hearing about, learning about, praying about/for, situations like Heather's than I ever was before. Mrs. Viv often said to me, "God trusts you with *this* Ame." That was often hard to swallow - who was *I* that HE trusted me? I cannot answer that, either. (And ... I wasn't sure I wanted to be so trustworthy!)
But I have learned what You have learned. And I have learned that His power is perfected in our weakness. And everything that comes our way provides us with the choice to trust God and respond to Him ... or not. And the more I have chosen to trust Him, the more He has enabled me to trust Him, and the more of Him He has chosen to fill me with. Pretty cool, really.
Dear God, I join with David and so many others praying for Heather and her family. You are sovereign, holy God ... and though we have few answers, if any, we do know that this is true ... You are sovereign, holy God. Thank You for being God in Heather's life. Her family is going to come into contact with many few will have opportunity to touch in these next days and weeks, may You flow over and through and in them in such a powerful way, allowing them to be Your hands and feet to a lost world. I love You, Ame
David, I wonder that, somehow, suffering is intended to do exactly what you've done in your piece -- bring us to God. Though it remains perplexing and heart-breakingly painful, the mystery of evil forces us to turn toward heaven. Of course, many use suffering as an excuse for atheism and doubt. The Book of Job is a good example of how, I think, God answers the issue of human suffering. When God showed up toward the end of the book, He asked a series of questions -- questions that Job could not answer. The interrogation was meant to highlight (1) God's absolute wisdom and supremacy, and (2) Job's abject, utter helplessness. In other words: God "answered" suffering, not by eliminating it, but putting it in perspective, in the light of His grace and greatness. Perhaps, therein, we must find solace.
I think Mike hits on something truly fundamental. A friend recently pointed out to me that in any circumstance in our lives, no matter how difficult or painful, there is God's grace, if only we look for it. Indeed, the greater the trial, the greater the measure of the grace He bestows. If we turn to look at that - if we look to find the picture of His love and mercy instead of the picture of our own lack of understanding - then we become aware of a picture that He is painting: one that reflects Him, rather than us. In seeking to see His grace - which is present, indubitably - we find ourselves doing as Mike correctly notes He intended: drawing near to Him.
So often, we do not draw near to Him because it is comfortable not to. We are in our secure zones; we are safe; we do not think we need Him. Yet we do. I think at some level God allows the hard times so that eventually we learn to keep our focus on Him in the good times. I'm reminded of Deuteronomy 6:10-13, and His admonition not to forget Him in the times of plenty: not to forget His deliverance and protection.
Too, I think He sometimes uses suffering in one person's life to prepare them to minister to others who will suffer - often through no fault of their own. He calls us to pour into others with the same love that has been poured into us, and He calls us to minister Him through both our own trials and to others in their trials through the empathy He has taught us.
Thanks for sharing. I love you!
Thank you all for all the wonderful and affirming comments.
Sometimes we, deep down, know the answers and just need to express ourselves.
May God bless you all.
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