Today at my church we celebrated the life of a beloved member of our body, a lovely older woman by the name of Jan Boatwright. She had been battling cancer for quite some time, and this past week went to be home with the Lord. She had expressed the desire to live, the church had been fervently praying for her healing, she had even shown improvement recently. But the Lord didn't heal her. The pastor expressed that there was ample faith and many believers across the country standing in the gap for her. It seems there was faith to move the mountain, and that that wasn't the issue. When faced with situations like these, it's hard not to ask the question, "Why then didn't you answer Lord?". I have been very troubled by all the sickness I've been coming across in the body of Christ, wondering, "Lord, this should not be so. Why are your people not set apart from the world in this area? Why do so many seem to be just as sick as unbelievers and battling many of the same diseases? (including myself). And many of them have faith in your healing power. They seek you diligently, they pray, they fast. But they don't receive the healing they've asked for. Your Word says that you bore our sicknesses, that you heal all of our diseases. So why so many times have you not fulfilled this promise? How do you get glory out of letting your son, your daughter die of cancer? It seems like you let the devil win." There is the temptation that comes time and time again to get angry and offended with God, not understanding why He won't answer this prayer, when it is clearly His will to heal, and he says that what we pray according to His will, it will be given to us. I've been learning a lot about the spiritual roots to disease and inner healing, as well as learning how to eat healthy. In many ways I've become too focused on these things and have let them cause me anxiety, worry and fear. The Lord let me see they've even been turning into idols, that I am putting my hope, my trust in. But that's all another subject for another post. But it has to do with hope. We can put our hope in so many things. But what the Lord reminded me of, but in a revelatory way today is that 'when our hope is truly in Him, it does not disappoint. His love can never fail. When we believe things about God based on our circumstances, we lose hope'. This has happened to me many times. I have become very frustrated and discouraged, so much so that I've wanted to die and have asked the Lord several times to please just let me die--to either heal me or take me away. But this is a desperation without hope. Because with hope, there's no giving up. And I haven't given up because I still have hope. But there's been many times were I've wanted to because I was losing hope. But the Lord brought me back to His goodness every time. And just one ounce of His goodness is more than enough to outweigh all the bad! His love is so much bigger, so much greater! It surpasses everything. I believe it's these two things--hope and experiencing His presence-- as well as reflecting on His faithfulness and testifying of it, that have carried me through and continue to carry me. Through my pastor's message the Lord reaffirmed His desire and intent to produce true faith in me, in us. 'When we can navigate through the difficulties and come out still standing in the truth--no matter what the outcome-- we have got the victory! Even in the face of mystery, when we trust Him and still believe, we've won the fight. Delayed answers are gaining interest. There's risks in the kingdom-Peter had to take a risk when he stepped out of the boat. We are called to live by faith. There's faith for miracles, and there's faith to endure. We see both at work in the book of Acts. As David said, "though You slay me, I will trust you, God.." When Stephen was stoned, he didn't see it as a defeat- he saw the glory of God.' Persecution of Christians and the horrendous torture they endure is the hardest thing I deal with in my faith-- understanding the goodness of God and trusting Him in the face of that. Why He would let people go through such horrific pain and suffering? And I don't even get why Jesus had to go through this physical, excruciatingly painful death for us. I'm sure many of Jesus' followers/disciples saw the crucifixion as a defeat--it looked like the enemy had won. Darkness was all around. They saw weakness, not power. Shame, not honor. It all looked upside down. Where's God's victory and glory in this? A bloody, gruesome sight. God being put to death like a criminal? Could anyone make sense of it? This is the one that's supposed to be our king-- who will crush our oppressors and deliver us from evil with His justice? But that was the victory. And he proved it by rising from the dead. Death swallowed up in victory! He was obedient to the point of death. He entrusted Himself to the Father. I was able to see that Jan truly does have the victory--that she is victorious! She trusted her Father up until her last breath. She kept the faith, and she's now in the glory of His presence clothed with a beautiful robe and crown. Jan has the victory! The victory is her faith-- in Jesus Christ the Son of God who bought her with His own blood. As hard as it is to the let go of the idea that it just would look and feel so much better and seem to make sense for the Lord to have healed her and let her have lived another decade or two here-- doing the work of the kingdom and to leave this earth in a way that's not ugly with the pain and corruption of sickness, I can't understand it. Although I believe there's more that the Lord wants to show me about sickness and healing because I do believe this is deep in His heart (Jesus went around healing all the sick--if He didn't care that much about health and wholeness in people's bodies, then why bother? And why was it such a key part of his ministry?) but for now, I think He wants to heal my heart from the pain of this lie about the absence of His goodness and love in the midst of suffering-- that I might rest in the glorious freedom of the victory of this truth--that He IS GOOD! After all, Jesus said, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God.' And it was this God that put Him to death. But He knew the Father. He knew this to be true. That God is good. I believe that this is what faith is--not just believing--but knowing, and experiencing the truth about God's nature. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen"- Hebrews 11:1.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,8 whom having not seen[a] you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls." - 1 Peter 1:3-9
May the Son of God find faith in our hearts at His coming! He is the author and the finisher of our faith. We can trust Him to keep what we have entrusted to Him until that day. He's faithful to our hearts, He is faithful to the end!
Romans 8:
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Timothy 1:
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.[b] 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.[b] 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
In this partnership He has invited us into, it is our part to abide in Him, and let His Words abide in us (John 15:7)--to hold fast to the truth. But it's the Holy Spirit that enables us--we must depend more upon Him than ourselves! The Lord has sent the Holy Spirit on assignment to us for our sanctification by the truth. And He did it all for us according to His purpose and grace!
So let us encourage one another in these things daily and even more as we see that Day approaching...- Hebrews 3:13!
He's for us, not against us. He's committed to bringing forth His purposes in our life. May we cling to Him, and not let go! He won't let us go! He promises to always be there for us, in times of prosperity and in times of difficulty. He's able to work it all out for our good if we let Him!
I can't believe how much it changes things when I read and declare His Word--so often I've neglected i--but it's the good news we need to hear every day! We need a constant reminder of His truth and promises for our life--He knew that-- that's why He said to put His Word everywhere! -Deut.6: 6-9. That is His guarantee for our success! And our success is not as the world defines it--it's in having faith in Him-- in loving Him and being loved by Him!
"...nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day." -2 Timothy 1:12
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."-1 Thess.5:23-24
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."-1 Thess.5:23-24
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