Ever feel like God could grow tired of your laments of illness and abandon you like others? Shelly shares.
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer” (2 Corinthians 5:16).
It’s all just too much, isn’t it? It grows more so over time too.
When we first get sick everyone’s alarm bells go off. People rush in, surround us, pitch in, get on board. They call to check and bring in meals and pray for relief. They reach out and hug us close.
But as chronic illness stays, well. . . chronic. . . people start to slip away. Or maybe they’re still somewhere along the perimeter, but they have a life too. We just become too high-maintenance.
Calls become less frequent. Prayers dwindle as the realization comes that no drastic, miraculous answers are right on the horizon.
We can become so hardened. We begin to expect this type of reaction–waiting for it instead of being surprised by it.
And many times I think this spills over onto our Savior.
We think of Him from such a human point of view. That’s what leads to the whys? and the where are yous? We expect that His attention span or His well of compassion are as long and as deep as others we’ve encountered in this world.
We worry that we will soon become as invisible to Him as we are to so many.
The truth? The beautiful truth is that when the smoke clears and the dust settles, He’ll be the one standing back to back with us. He’ll be the one standing guard in front of us. He’ll be holding our arms up and carrying us along, close to His heart. He’ll be looking us right in the eye as He asks us how we are today. Then He’ll listen for the answer.
Each and every time. Without fail.
“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Prayer: Dear God, help us to know Your majesty. Keep us from expecting human reactions from One such as You. Thank You for being with us always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
About the author:
Shelly Hendricks is a wife and mother of 2 amazing kids. She was a teacher and a librarian in another life. She also suffers from Intracranial Hypertension, Interstitial Cystitis, and Essential Tremor. She had brain surgery in 2012 and now considers herself to be a ‘bionic woman’ who is learning to walk again. Disability has been hard to deal with, but she depends on God for all strength and hopes to encourage others on this journey, through her blog at http://reneweddaily.com
Are you underestimating the Lord and His grace today? What first step can you take to change that?
Shelly thought you would like this song, “Your Grace Finds Me” by Matt Redman. It has amazing lyrics, reminding us that God’s grace never leaves us–it is there at every event, every tear, every moment of the mundane. What a wonderful reminder! -Lisa
Chronic Illness Pain Daily Devotionals 