Our Illness is Always in God’s Sight; He Doesn’t Just Deal With Leftovers

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“This is My doing.” (1 Kings 12:24)

The struggles of life come in many forms, whether it be a prodigal child, unemployment, illness, or the loss of a loved one. We all suffer because we live in a world that is tarnished with sin.

There are many hot-fueled emotions, however, about whether God causes this pain or if He simply allows it to touch our lives. 1 Kings 12:24 says, “This is my doing.”

We all long to believe in a God who comforts us and has a lap we can curl up into. We do not always want to think of God as a Father who must also use discipline, even when it is painful. As parents, however, discipline is not punishment. It is a tool to raise our children to be more Christ-like, just as God desires us to be.

Coping with my own disease, I have chosen not to think of my illness as Satan’s doing, because it is in fact, a part of my identity. My weakness is God’s strength. I find the most comfort in trusting that God has always and fully been in control. My illness is not Satan’s brainstorm with God being expected to make something out of the leftovers. Since I was formed in the wound, God knew rheumatoid arthritis would be a part of who I am.

Jesus is a man of many sorrows and familiar with suffering (Isaiah 53:3). Despite them, He always turned to God to talk about them, asking for strength, comfort, and even for the cup to pass.

Regardless of where the source of our struggles come from, we must follow Christ’s example and always turn to God because this is His doing.

Prayer: Father, help me to know that though I may not know the reasons behind my sufferings, You are always there to comfort me and that the situation has never once been out of Your sight.

About the Author:
Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and the author of “How to Start a Chronic Illness Small Group Ministry.” You can read more about this book at http://startasmallgroup.com . It’s packed full of 320 pages of information to help you decide if a HopeKeepers illness support group is in your future and where to go from the calling to the practical steps.