Will We Believe God’s Promises, Even When Our Illness Seems To Mess With Them?

“See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes (Deuteronomy 1:21, 30)

In this chapter Moses is rebuking the Israelites for their refusal to believe God’s promises of provision and victory over the enemies in Canaan. He talked about how God had made their direction very clear (with a cloud during the day and pillar of fire at night), and they still refused to obey and trust Him.

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), fibromyalgia, and Crohn’s Disease 18 years ago, while I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with lupus but has struggled physically for the past three years while she waited for someone to tell her what was going on in her pain-racked body.

We have both seen how God has led us in our lives to this very day. How He has provided for all our needs in remarkable ways, how His grace is what keeps us going and able to bear the cross(es) He has chosen for us, and how we have been blessed spiritually in ways that may not have happened if we were healthy.

From this chapter I took that I need to be brave and “go up” to whatever He leads me into in the future, trusting that He will continue to provide and will keep His promises. I can’t stand still and stomp my feet and say, “No, God, I can’t go there. It’s too frightening and look at all these things that could go wrong. . .”

I also realized how Satan can try to suggest that it’s probably because God hates us that we have to deal with stuff like this instead of realizing that God only allows things that are for His honor and our spiritual good, even though they may be tough for our flesh.

So we:

• cannot be found “grumbling in our tents”– but we can tell God exactly how we feel, laying our pleas before Him, trusting Him implicitly
• cannot listen to Satan or others who try to set up a case for us not to believe in God (at a time when we need Him most)
• cannot dread or be afraid of what lies ahead
• must believe that God keeps His promises, as He’s proved in our past (like how He remarkably delivered the Israelites out of Egypt)
• must trust God for whatever lies ahead.

I found this chapter in Deuteronomy so comforting. I felt like God knew I needed to be reminded that He assures us of His constant presence, His unconditional love, His gentle leading, and His ultimate purpose of being glorified and us being enriched spiritually. How can we flounder and give in to doubt and lies? Our God is an awesome God!!

Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to always trust You and believe Your promises instead of focusing entirely on our pain and limitations. Continue to bless us with the grace to carry this heavy cross, knowing that You can use this for Your honor and glory.
In Jesus name, Amen.

Welcome to Our New Writer!
Sandra Stam has been living with RA, AS, Crohn’s, and fibromyalgia for the past 18 years. She is blessed with a wonderful husband and 3 children. She has lived with a swirl of emotions as she adjusts to the pain and limitations in her life. However, her constant wish and prayer is that by explaining how tough times can be God can be glorified if she also acknowledges His remarkable provision through the journey. You can find more of her musings on her blog at http://sandrastam.blogspot.com

Will you grumble or keep going in faith realizing that God will always keep His promises? How do you see the difference between grumbling to God and complaining versus speaking to Him openly about your feelings?