Psalm 41: 3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.
I have had two friends lose their spouses after battling debilitating illnesses recently. One was a deep Christian, the other more of a social church goer. The difference in their passing, their last days in Hospice, the funerals and their wives’ reactions through it all were like night and day. The deeply faithful Christian couple witnessed not only how much they loved Christ, but how He was with them, sustained them and now is welcoming one of them into eternal life. Death was sorrowful, of course, but peaceful. And the life he now lives was celebrated, the comfort she feels daily very evident.
I have also in the past few months had three deeply Christian friends each go though very major surgery, one battling breast cancer. Yet, their hospital stays, lengthy rehab and post op, and attitudes were all Christ filled. Healing comes in many forms – to the patients, their loved ones and even the medical professionals who care for them. Our physical body may not be healed, but our spirit can be healthy, strong and whole. In the old movie The Robe, there is a scene when the centurion who is tormented because he won the lots cast for Jesus’ robe, comes upon a crippled woman in a hammock singing and smiling. She is a Christian, yet he asks her why since Jesus obviously didn’t heal her. Her answer was that He did- He healed her attitude about life, her faith and her soul. Like my strong, tenacious friends that have had to battle so much, she was a witness to the power of our loving, caring, giving Lord in her life. Even in illness, there can be health. When my chronic aches and pains get to me, their witness lifts me up.
Do you suffer from a medical illness, or are the caregiver of someone right now? Or do you know someone close to you that is suffering? Draw near to the Great Physician and receive peace and strength for you and them. He really can ease the pain of the body and the heart. He is only a breath of a prayer away.
