Post by Cindy on Jul 29, 2016 12:27:04 GMT -5
We hear a lot about miracle healings now days and some of them are actually true. Sadly, some are nothing more then outright lies and are totally faked, and still others are nothing more then wishful thinking. It's always wonderful to hear of someone that's been healed though. At the same time though, it seems to me that often people are so focused on "being healed" that they don't realize that their illness or pain could be a tremendous blessing to them as well. Often the first thing we think about when we hear that someone is sick or is living with pain, is that we want them to be healed, and that's what we pray for. I've lived with pain and sickness for 16 years now, and many people have prayed for me, and they always pray for healing. I can't count how many times people have asked me if they could pray for me and when I say yes, they instantly start praying for healing. They never ask me what I need prayer for, they just assume that there can't be anything else on my mind then that, and that anything else wouldn't be as important anyway. That's not only not true, it's also not scriptural.
I thank God that He allowed this to happen to me because it's been a huge blessing. Because of it, I've developed a much closer relationship with the Lord then I would have been able to otherwise; or at the least, if I'd been able to develop it to this extent, it most likely would have taken me the rest of my life. Instead I got there much more quickly. I've also learned more about the Lord then I ever could have otherwise. I've grown spiritually more then I could have too.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't want to be healed. Not at all! I'd love to be healed, but healing to me is secondary to my relationship with the Lord. I'm not even sure it's in the "top ten" of what I'd request prayer for. There are other things that are much more important to me, like being a better and more courageous witness for the Lord, having a gentler spirit, and not reacting in my flesh when someone or something angers me, and other similar things. What I want above everything else is to please Him.
I remember shortly after I was hurt some verses in Daniel caught my eye and really convicted me. They were when Daniel's friends were going to be thrown into the furnace and they replied to the King that it didn't matter to them whether God saved them from that or not, that they would worship Him and Him alone regardless of whether or not He saved them. I knew then and there that's exactly the kind of faith I wanted to have, and told the Lord that. And that's exactly what He's given me. Therefore, I'm perfectly content regardless of whether or not I'm healed. I rarely even think about being healed in this life and rarely pray about it anymore. I know that He will heal me in His time. I don't know if that will be in this life or the next, but I trust Him to do exactly what is best for me.
I guess what bothers me with all the focus on healing today is that there's practically no focus on the benefits of suffering, or that we need to persevere. So much so that some false teachers even say that if someone is suffering it's only because they don't have enough faith to be healed. I've heard the false teaching that "Jesus healed everyone". However, if you read the New Testament carefully, you'll find any number of times that He did not heal everyone, and neither did the apostles. Sometimes they did, but not all the time. We're told “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.” (Acts 14:22) and yet today all we often hear about is that Jesus is supposed to make you life easier, which is a bunch of hogwash. He didn't promise us an easy life here, that comes with our reward for persevering through all the hardships of this life, which can include suffering pain and sickness. The worst part about the church not preaching about suffering, hardship and perseverance, is that many wind up losing their faith because they figure it's not working for them. I've known people that's happened to and it breaks my heart. They think God doesn't care about them because they haven't been healed or because He hasn't fixed whatever they've been going through. Yet when I looked at their situation, I could see all kinds of evidence of God's loving care for them.
The bottom line is that miracles are great. I should know, as the Lord's given me more than I could begin to count! But miracles are not the most important thing in this life - God is, and our relationship with Him. Jesus told the apostles that when they were overjoyed at all the miracles they'd seen and performed. He told them “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”” (Luke 10:20) That's what's most important; that's the greatest miracle of all, and we can never hear enough about it! It should cause us all to want to please God and accept whatever our situation is knowing that He will use it all to conform us to the image of His Son. Another miracle! Let's rejoice in what God has already done saving us, and what He is doing and will continue to do until that day when we finally stand before Him pure and blameless. Until that day, let's keep persevering and tell others about those miracles and how they can have the very same miracle for themselves if they will only believe! I love how in Romans we're told to rejoice in our sufferings and persevere, and after talking about that, he then goes right into the message about salvation. (Romans 5:3–9) That's what it's all about, praise God!
I thank God that He allowed this to happen to me because it's been a huge blessing. Because of it, I've developed a much closer relationship with the Lord then I would have been able to otherwise; or at the least, if I'd been able to develop it to this extent, it most likely would have taken me the rest of my life. Instead I got there much more quickly. I've also learned more about the Lord then I ever could have otherwise. I've grown spiritually more then I could have too.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't want to be healed. Not at all! I'd love to be healed, but healing to me is secondary to my relationship with the Lord. I'm not even sure it's in the "top ten" of what I'd request prayer for. There are other things that are much more important to me, like being a better and more courageous witness for the Lord, having a gentler spirit, and not reacting in my flesh when someone or something angers me, and other similar things. What I want above everything else is to please Him.
I remember shortly after I was hurt some verses in Daniel caught my eye and really convicted me. They were when Daniel's friends were going to be thrown into the furnace and they replied to the King that it didn't matter to them whether God saved them from that or not, that they would worship Him and Him alone regardless of whether or not He saved them. I knew then and there that's exactly the kind of faith I wanted to have, and told the Lord that. And that's exactly what He's given me. Therefore, I'm perfectly content regardless of whether or not I'm healed. I rarely even think about being healed in this life and rarely pray about it anymore. I know that He will heal me in His time. I don't know if that will be in this life or the next, but I trust Him to do exactly what is best for me.
I guess what bothers me with all the focus on healing today is that there's practically no focus on the benefits of suffering, or that we need to persevere. So much so that some false teachers even say that if someone is suffering it's only because they don't have enough faith to be healed. I've heard the false teaching that "Jesus healed everyone". However, if you read the New Testament carefully, you'll find any number of times that He did not heal everyone, and neither did the apostles. Sometimes they did, but not all the time. We're told “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.” (Acts 14:22) and yet today all we often hear about is that Jesus is supposed to make you life easier, which is a bunch of hogwash. He didn't promise us an easy life here, that comes with our reward for persevering through all the hardships of this life, which can include suffering pain and sickness. The worst part about the church not preaching about suffering, hardship and perseverance, is that many wind up losing their faith because they figure it's not working for them. I've known people that's happened to and it breaks my heart. They think God doesn't care about them because they haven't been healed or because He hasn't fixed whatever they've been going through. Yet when I looked at their situation, I could see all kinds of evidence of God's loving care for them.
The bottom line is that miracles are great. I should know, as the Lord's given me more than I could begin to count! But miracles are not the most important thing in this life - God is, and our relationship with Him. Jesus told the apostles that when they were overjoyed at all the miracles they'd seen and performed. He told them “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”” (Luke 10:20) That's what's most important; that's the greatest miracle of all, and we can never hear enough about it! It should cause us all to want to please God and accept whatever our situation is knowing that He will use it all to conform us to the image of His Son. Another miracle! Let's rejoice in what God has already done saving us, and what He is doing and will continue to do until that day when we finally stand before Him pure and blameless. Until that day, let's keep persevering and tell others about those miracles and how they can have the very same miracle for themselves if they will only believe! I love how in Romans we're told to rejoice in our sufferings and persevere, and after talking about that, he then goes right into the message about salvation. (Romans 5:3–9) That's what it's all about, praise God!
!!
