On this day of love, where the standard gifts are candy in heart shaped boxes, flowers and cards with lots of pink and red, I want to talk about the true love of my life. He is my heart's desire.... There is nothing "standard" about Him.
The first thing that drew me to Him, was the love He has for me: crazy, intense, never-lessening love for me. He is taken with me. This love that He has for me, moves me.... It moves me to regret over the times I have failed to love Him; it fills my mind and heart with an ecstasy that makes me thirsty for more; it astounds me at the value of His gifts, for they cost Him dearly. No, these gifts were never a last minute rush of hollow words and soon to be forgotten trinkets. But they are gifts that were planned long before I was. They are intensely personal and precious to me.
What did He give me? My life. He gave me life. He redeemed me - bought me back from Death who had a tight grip on me. He is the key that unlocked my frozen heart; He is the door between Life and Death; the portal into safety.
My heart lay in the cold, dark ice of death, but He did not leave me there! Death's horrible fingers rightly held onto me, until He put me aside and off this altar - stepping onto the large platform - becoming the sacrifice that paid the dear price of my freedom forever . He... the One who never sinned - became what I was, so I could be like Him. He took my shame of a life lived for me, and gave me dignity and honor.
But it doesn't end there. He makes my heart beat, He fills my lungs with with the breathe of praise. I find Him beautiful. He stirs up and wakes my love - it is in response to Him....
"The voice of my Beloved! Behold He comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.... My beloved spoke, and said to me: 'Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come,,,," (Song of Soloman 2:8,10-12)
"My beloved is mine and I am His." (Song of Solomon 2:16)
If there are valentines that did not come on this day, forget your dissappointment. Instead remember.... You will one day hear His voice calling out to you to rise up and come away. Come, Lord Jesus!
Showing posts with label disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disease. Show all posts
Friday, February 14, 2014
Thursday, April 18, 2013
I Think We are all Looking for a Safe Place
Today, we are faced with fear, confusion, and turmoil. We are trying to cope with the bombings in Boston and wondering what kind of a person could or would send letters to ANYBODY that were laced with a deadly poison. We watch the news as the story of a fertilizer plant that caught fire and blew up in Texas unfolds. Chicago is flooding badly. As I sit here typing this, the thunder has begun to roll along with wind and a steady downpour of rain. We are warned that hail might be on the way....
I think we are all looking for a safe place to shelter us from the evil all around us. We feel that it's getting closer to us, yet we have no idea where to hide.
Let me remind you that though this world is run by the evil one, God has the last say-so over it all. Run to Him. Let Him gather you to His bosom and like a hen with chicks, allow Him to cover you with His wings.
We don't always understand why things happen, but we can be sure of this: God loves everyone and does not want anyone to perish. If we will let Him, He will guard us just like the diligent shepherd guards his sheep. That shepherd is always on the lookout for lions, bears and wild dogs. He will fight them off of the sheep with his staff. He will lead them through the valleys to rich pastures and calm waters. He will annoint their heads with oil that repels flies and gnats and prevents the egg laying pests that gain access through the nose and eyes. He goes looking for the one that strays. And when the sheep are troubled due to bullying among themselves He takes charge.
Things are going to get worse. God tells us this in His Word. But His love never dies, and if we will accept that He knows the way in which we should go, pay attention to it, seeking His will, and letting Him lead us, then we will not ever be without Him.
I think we are all looking for a safe place to shelter us from the evil all around us. We feel that it's getting closer to us, yet we have no idea where to hide.
Let me remind you that though this world is run by the evil one, God has the last say-so over it all. Run to Him. Let Him gather you to His bosom and like a hen with chicks, allow Him to cover you with His wings.
We don't always understand why things happen, but we can be sure of this: God loves everyone and does not want anyone to perish. If we will let Him, He will guard us just like the diligent shepherd guards his sheep. That shepherd is always on the lookout for lions, bears and wild dogs. He will fight them off of the sheep with his staff. He will lead them through the valleys to rich pastures and calm waters. He will annoint their heads with oil that repels flies and gnats and prevents the egg laying pests that gain access through the nose and eyes. He goes looking for the one that strays. And when the sheep are troubled due to bullying among themselves He takes charge.
Things are going to get worse. God tells us this in His Word. But His love never dies, and if we will accept that He knows the way in which we should go, pay attention to it, seeking His will, and letting Him lead us, then we will not ever be without Him.
Psalm 91
1 He who [a]dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!
3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.
8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,
10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.
11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.
14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
God's Compassion for You
I have been fretting and hurting over some things. All night I had disturbing dreams. I am up early and just now, as I sat at the breakfast table having my first cup of coffee and doing devotions, I heard a cow's mournful bellowing in the pre dawn as it echoed back and forth across the space behind our house. It was distressing and inspired my prayers for its relief.
Surely when our cries of distress rise up to God - He pauses to listen - He hears - and His compassion is forthcoming. We can rest assured that His compassion is more easily provoked than our own.
The troubles stealing my peace are hidden under the very shallow surface of self-composure - and do tirelessly seeth and boil tearing away old landmarks of complacency like a steady flow of freshly spewn lava, all the while depositing new terrain.
The cow is still bellowing unheard by its lazy owner. She is left alone to deal with her misfortune. I am left to wonder what has befallen her.
I hear an answering sound - a cry very much like the first, yet further away and in response. Proof of compassion IN a creature FOR a creature... like its Creator - built to respond.
When distressed, we cry out. That cry invokes the response of the Creator and oftimes comes through a fellow sojourner. It is no less proof of His care and concern because it comes through an unexpected channel.
L. B. Cowman (Streams in the Desert) says it like this: "Onto the pages of every trial there are narrow shafts of light that shine. Thorns will not prick you until you lean against them, and no one will touch you without God knowing. The words that hurt you, the letter that caused you pain, the cruelty of your closest friend, your financial need - they are all known to Him. He sympathizes as no one else can, and watches to see if through it all, you will dare to trust Him completely."
Surely when our cries of distress rise up to God - He pauses to listen - He hears - and His compassion is forthcoming. We can rest assured that His compassion is more easily provoked than our own.
The troubles stealing my peace are hidden under the very shallow surface of self-composure - and do tirelessly seeth and boil tearing away old landmarks of complacency like a steady flow of freshly spewn lava, all the while depositing new terrain.
The cow is still bellowing unheard by its lazy owner. She is left alone to deal with her misfortune. I am left to wonder what has befallen her.
I hear an answering sound - a cry very much like the first, yet further away and in response. Proof of compassion IN a creature FOR a creature... like its Creator - built to respond.
When distressed, we cry out. That cry invokes the response of the Creator and oftimes comes through a fellow sojourner. It is no less proof of His care and concern because it comes through an unexpected channel.
L. B. Cowman (Streams in the Desert) says it like this: "Onto the pages of every trial there are narrow shafts of light that shine. Thorns will not prick you until you lean against them, and no one will touch you without God knowing. The words that hurt you, the letter that caused you pain, the cruelty of your closest friend, your financial need - they are all known to Him. He sympathizes as no one else can, and watches to see if through it all, you will dare to trust Him completely."
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The Rock That Does Not Change
Change can be troubling. It is like shifting sand. Time and circumstance changes things we thought would never change. For instance, friends can become like family - then as we journey through time and pass through the landscape of hills and valleys, they slowly fade from sight. We switch our dependence on them to someone or something else. The storms of life change things - indeed change US. They strike indescriminantly in both the valleys and mountain-tops - often with little or no warning. We are forced to look in different places to fulfill what once was not a need.
An example of this wound be the death of someone dear to you. Or perhaps the rejection of someone who once loved you. In such cases everything changes. In such cases even our beliefs of who God really is can be challenged. We may arrive at false conclusions or lose our bearings completely - not knowing which way to lean. It's very painful to go through these winds of change - these storms of life. It IS inevitable, however. Ours is not a perfect world.
At one time it was - but those days are forever gone. When sin entered the world, all of creation was cursed. We were hopelessly bound to strive - to pursue life by the sweat of our brow and yet never quite reach fulfillment.
What kind of God would leave us in such a hopeless condition? Not a good God! Not OUR God! In the midst of a changing world filled with changing people amidst changing values, we have a ROCK. One that is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). HE is my stability in the shifting sands of the desert of human allegiences, human understanding, human needs, human judgements and all other variables.
I rejoice with the Psalmist who writes, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:2
And like the psalmist: the next time the cords of death encompass me, and the torrents of ungodliness terrify me, or the cords of Sheol surround me, and the snares of death confront me - the next time I am stung by cruel words or rejected by a friend, or devoured by the ravages of disease - in my distress I will call upon the Lord and cry to Him for help - because His love and His kindness and mercy never change....
He is my ROCK.
An example of this wound be the death of someone dear to you. Or perhaps the rejection of someone who once loved you. In such cases everything changes. In such cases even our beliefs of who God really is can be challenged. We may arrive at false conclusions or lose our bearings completely - not knowing which way to lean. It's very painful to go through these winds of change - these storms of life. It IS inevitable, however. Ours is not a perfect world.
At one time it was - but those days are forever gone. When sin entered the world, all of creation was cursed. We were hopelessly bound to strive - to pursue life by the sweat of our brow and yet never quite reach fulfillment.
What kind of God would leave us in such a hopeless condition? Not a good God! Not OUR God! In the midst of a changing world filled with changing people amidst changing values, we have a ROCK. One that is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). HE is my stability in the shifting sands of the desert of human allegiences, human understanding, human needs, human judgements and all other variables.
I rejoice with the Psalmist who writes, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:2
And like the psalmist: the next time the cords of death encompass me, and the torrents of ungodliness terrify me, or the cords of Sheol surround me, and the snares of death confront me - the next time I am stung by cruel words or rejected by a friend, or devoured by the ravages of disease - in my distress I will call upon the Lord and cry to Him for help - because His love and His kindness and mercy never change....
He is my ROCK.
Friday, January 4, 2013
A Bee Without Wings
Sometimes we - who have Parkinson's Disease - or some other heartbreaking disorder - come to feel, and certainly to believe that we are without worth - useless - without purpose. The only thought we have is that we are a burden and unwanted. We may even doubt that our loved ones truly cherish us nor feel any joy in us, amidst the many duties that in their goodness they have come to take upon themselves on our behalf.
This is the WORST feeling; in fact a deadly feeling, if not countered with truth. If you are a Believer, then you are the recipient of God's grace. It is true that His grace is the all-inclusive gift to His children in a measure that cannot be measured or counted. It is manifested in many ways, one of which is His Charity towards us. Charity is the expression of God's love for us as evidenced by His behavior towards us and inspired by His love for us.
But let me give you a much clearer picture of what Charity is and how it affects you. This is a quote from a book I came across on my bookshelf just this morning: "The Egyptian hieroglyphic representing charity is a naked child, with a heart in his hand, and giving honey to a bee without wings. The child represents the humility of charity, the heart in its hand the cheerfulness of charity, giving honey to a bee without wings represents the worthiness and helpfulness of the object of charity."
Precious ones - you who have been struck down with Parkinson's Disease - you are that bee without wings! You are precious in His sight and He sees you as worthy, valuable, loved!!! Today meditate on this tender and wonderful truth and refuse any thoughts counter to this.
It is not the honey that makes the bee valuable, but the bee without even the honey is valued!
This is the WORST feeling; in fact a deadly feeling, if not countered with truth. If you are a Believer, then you are the recipient of God's grace. It is true that His grace is the all-inclusive gift to His children in a measure that cannot be measured or counted. It is manifested in many ways, one of which is His Charity towards us. Charity is the expression of God's love for us as evidenced by His behavior towards us and inspired by His love for us.
But let me give you a much clearer picture of what Charity is and how it affects you. This is a quote from a book I came across on my bookshelf just this morning: "The Egyptian hieroglyphic representing charity is a naked child, with a heart in his hand, and giving honey to a bee without wings. The child represents the humility of charity, the heart in its hand the cheerfulness of charity, giving honey to a bee without wings represents the worthiness and helpfulness of the object of charity."
Precious ones - you who have been struck down with Parkinson's Disease - you are that bee without wings! You are precious in His sight and He sees you as worthy, valuable, loved!!! Today meditate on this tender and wonderful truth and refuse any thoughts counter to this.
It is not the honey that makes the bee valuable, but the bee without even the honey is valued!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Cool and Cloudy
Today is unseasonably cool. It's cloudy with temperatures in the 60s. Definitely sweater weather! This is not my idea of a typical June day.
Emotions are sort of like the weather. One day you are hot only to be cool the next. Our comfort levels change as circumstances outside of our control may be all over the map. In other words, we are directly affected by the "weather" around us and we have no control over what may come.
Certainly, for people with PD we are faced with new problems, new circumstances and unforseen events every day. It can be more than we can handle at times. So how do we stay steady and remain grounded in an unpredictable climate? I do it through my relationship to Jesus. If I didn't know that He is all powerful and loving I know I wouldn't make it through my crazy days! I know that He has all knowlege and that He is merciful and forgiving. I may not understand the why of what He does, but I don't have to. Knowing who He is will be enough.
When the weather turns bad suddenly, I know He is my shelter. I trust Him to know what I don't, and I trust Him to be who He says He is. Read your Bible today.......... You'll learn something new about Him. It's all there - in the Bible.......... The answers....
Emotions are sort of like the weather. One day you are hot only to be cool the next. Our comfort levels change as circumstances outside of our control may be all over the map. In other words, we are directly affected by the "weather" around us and we have no control over what may come.
Certainly, for people with PD we are faced with new problems, new circumstances and unforseen events every day. It can be more than we can handle at times. So how do we stay steady and remain grounded in an unpredictable climate? I do it through my relationship to Jesus. If I didn't know that He is all powerful and loving I know I wouldn't make it through my crazy days! I know that He has all knowlege and that He is merciful and forgiving. I may not understand the why of what He does, but I don't have to. Knowing who He is will be enough.
When the weather turns bad suddenly, I know He is my shelter. I trust Him to know what I don't, and I trust Him to be who He says He is. Read your Bible today.......... You'll learn something new about Him. It's all there - in the Bible.......... The answers....
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
God's Personal Will for You
The third way to discern God's will for you is to determine God's personal will for you personally. If what I want to do is in agreement with 1) God's Providential will and 2)does not violate God's moral will, then I put the question before God by prayer and reading His Word. Tell Him you want to do His will. Ask Him to make it clear to you what He wants you to do. Wait on Him for the answer. Be like Jacob who wrestled with God and would not let go until God blessed him. If the answer seems slow in coming, then keep waiting. Have faith that God will answer. You don't know WHAT His answer will be, but you know it's coming!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Answers
Questions.............. There are so many questions I have. I wonder about things that have happened and things that will in the future happen. I wonder about the way things happen and I wonder why some things never happen.
Answers......... I have way less answers than I would like to have.
Does this stop me from living my life? No. I forge ahead today, based upon the answers that I have (today) and the understanding I have. My information is incomplete, but I take what I know and go from there.
Some of my questions are about disease and how that relates to performance, expectations of myself, and also of others, and attitude to name a few. And I do have some of those answers albeit incomplete.
The "why" questions are particularly maddening. But the good thing about all of this is that I know the One Who does have complete knowledge and has all of the answers. I have a relationship with Him and I can trust Him for guidance when I ask. Because I know His character (through relationship and through reading His Word - the Bible) I can rely on Him to steer me the right way.
Don't let incomplete knowledge, or the "whys" that you have keep you from the joy and satisfaction of trusting in Him.
To know Him better is to trust Him more.
Answers......... I have way less answers than I would like to have.
Does this stop me from living my life? No. I forge ahead today, based upon the answers that I have (today) and the understanding I have. My information is incomplete, but I take what I know and go from there.
Some of my questions are about disease and how that relates to performance, expectations of myself, and also of others, and attitude to name a few. And I do have some of those answers albeit incomplete.
The "why" questions are particularly maddening. But the good thing about all of this is that I know the One Who does have complete knowledge and has all of the answers. I have a relationship with Him and I can trust Him for guidance when I ask. Because I know His character (through relationship and through reading His Word - the Bible) I can rely on Him to steer me the right way.
Don't let incomplete knowledge, or the "whys" that you have keep you from the joy and satisfaction of trusting in Him.
To know Him better is to trust Him more.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
What I Learned From Job
Job's pain and unjust suffering did not prove to be a barrier to receiving God's blessing and love. Scripture describes Job as blameless and upright - a man who shunned evil and one who was blessed and protected by God. Suddenly and for no reason Job could discern, everything he had was taken from him - family, money, health, marriage and even friends turned on him.
IN ALL OF THIS JOB DID NOT SIN BY CHARGING GOD WITH WRONGDOING.
He eloquently and powerfully expressed his pain - his questions:
"After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said: "May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, "A boy is born!" That day - may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine upon it. May darkness and deep shadow claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm its light. That night - may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months. May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it. May those who curse days curse that day." (Job 3:1-8)
"I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the aguish of my spirit; I will complain the bitterness of my soul." (Job 7:11)
If I speak my pain is not relieved and if I refrain, it does not go away." (Job 16:6)
Job found that his "trusted friends" gave him bad counsel. "Now you too have proved to be of no help." (Job 6:21)
Job verbally affirms the charater of God:
"Though one wished to dispute with him, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand. His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed; miracles that cannot be counted." (Job 9:3-10)
Job doesn't stuff his pain or try to deal with it by not confronting it:
"If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and smile,' I still dread all my suffering...." (Job 9:27)
"He takes his complaint and addresses God" (Job 10:2-12)
Job tried seeking comfort from his friends but the result was: "...miserable comforters are you all!" (Job 16:1)
In spite of earthly sorrows, pain and suffering, Job keeps things in pespective: "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27)
Finally, Job hears from God. The Lord speaks. Read Job, chapters 38-41.
Job was validated.
"After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.... My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has." (Job 42:7-8)
The final result:
Job had an incredible encounter withGod. His faith was refined. 'The Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10) Though much of what God restored was worldly gain, the most incredible part to me is that there was an exchange between the God of the universe - the Creator - and Job - one man. Job was humbled before God and at the same time elevated and blessed beyond description.
IN ALL OF THIS JOB DID NOT SIN BY CHARGING GOD WITH WRONGDOING.
He eloquently and powerfully expressed his pain - his questions:
"After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said: "May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, "A boy is born!" That day - may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine upon it. May darkness and deep shadow claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm its light. That night - may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months. May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it. May those who curse days curse that day." (Job 3:1-8)
"I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the aguish of my spirit; I will complain the bitterness of my soul." (Job 7:11)
If I speak my pain is not relieved and if I refrain, it does not go away." (Job 16:6)
Job found that his "trusted friends" gave him bad counsel. "Now you too have proved to be of no help." (Job 6:21)
Job verbally affirms the charater of God:
"Though one wished to dispute with him, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand. His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed; miracles that cannot be counted." (Job 9:3-10)
Job doesn't stuff his pain or try to deal with it by not confronting it:
"If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and smile,' I still dread all my suffering...." (Job 9:27)
"He takes his complaint and addresses God" (Job 10:2-12)
Job tried seeking comfort from his friends but the result was: "...miserable comforters are you all!" (Job 16:1)
In spite of earthly sorrows, pain and suffering, Job keeps things in pespective: "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27)
Finally, Job hears from God. The Lord speaks. Read Job, chapters 38-41.
Job was validated.
"After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.... My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has." (Job 42:7-8)
The final result:
Job had an incredible encounter withGod. His faith was refined. 'The Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10) Though much of what God restored was worldly gain, the most incredible part to me is that there was an exchange between the God of the universe - the Creator - and Job - one man. Job was humbled before God and at the same time elevated and blessed beyond description.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Being a Christian With Parkinson's Disease
I have Parkinson's Disease. I'm a 55 year old female and was diagnosed in my early 30s. I've had my fair share of troubles and this development was definitely troubling. As a Christian, I prayed for healing and help often. God DID help me, though often it was a slow process.One question I dealt with was, "Did God give me this disease, and if so, why?" To answer this question, i have to go way back to the beginning of time. When God created everything - it was all good. Things didn't get bad until the fall of man through disobedience to God. That was when pain and suffering became the norm. Disease became possible, but God was not the author of it. He did however respond to the mess man had made of everything by taking disastrous circumstances, and somehow bringing goodness into existence through them.
Disease and dysfunction were not His design. I believe they became tools of the devil to inflict misery on man - the object of God's love.
So, the answer to the question is : No! God did not give me this disease. Can He brting beauty from the ashes of P. D.? Yes, He can.
Disease is like a fire - burning everything it touches - unraveling design - leaving cinders that turn to ashes. Man made this possible. Man has the power to destroy - to disassemble, but not to stir the ashes and call forth beauty. The devil means it for our destruction and harm, but God works the same for our good.
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