Why Do We Suffer Illness?

God lives and works today. He loves us and enjoys using His power to help us. But perhaps this is hard for you to believe right now.

Sickness has come into your life and you are suffering a great deal. You can't help but wonder, where is God? If He is real, why doesn't He intervene and help me? Why does He allow me to suffer this way? Today's meditation by Basilea Schlink has an answer to these heart-rending why's. Why do we have to suffer illness? The scriptures give us a clear answer to this question.

They say that God is to be glorified through our suffering. God is glorified when He performs a miracle of healing in us. Then His name is praised.

But He is glorified just as much, perhaps even more, when someone bears an illness with patience and love for Jesus. In complete surrender to the will of God. Many who have suffered became a living testimony to others.

Because in spite of their pain, they were radiant with joy. The joy that comes from Jesus alone. Yes, God has sometimes received more honor through people who bore their illnesses in this manner than He has through a miracle of healing.

From my own experience, I can testify that I have experienced both. I've been touched by the Lord and made well, and also I've been ill and remained ill for a long time. In the first instance, He intervened and healed me.

In the second instance, I experienced His help in a different way. He gave knowledge and talents to the doctors who became His instruments. The medicines which they prescribed were created by God to bring health back to the sick.

But the most important thing that I want to say is that there is definite blessing in sickness. It brings us blessing in a way that no other kind of suffering can. I shall never regret the times of illness in my life.

As a sinner, I needed them. They disciplined, cleansed, and transformed me. Each time I came through an illness, I discovered afterwards that it had brought rich blessings to my life.

My most precious experience in all these times of illness has been this. God our Father especially loves those of His children who are afflicted and poor. The sick belong to this group.

He has prepared special blessings and gifts of love for them. He wants to pour out His goodness upon them in a special way. Over them He has spread His covenant of love.

He wants to prepare them for eternity and lead them along the way to great glory. Yes, the sick and suffering are God's favorites. He turns to them with a special love and attention.

Of this you can be certain, even though you may not feel it in the midst of your suffering. It is precisely this moment that you are especially loved by God. You lead me tenderly.

I rest upon your bosom. Your heart beats there for me. It knows full well each suffering and glands each misery.

You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet.

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