I
remember being a child and the pleasure I got out of a wrapped package with my
name on it. My head would fill with the
wonders hidden by the wrap. A sort of
magic filled the air with expectation.
What fun to shake, touch, and dream.
Before the wrapping was off, this unknown gift was a million different
things. When yet unopened, it was my
hearts desire. That gift was precious.
I
am still that child. I love gifts! And when my Abba came into the room with a
beautifully wrapped package, those feelings happened all over again. He smiled at my anticipation. He found joy in my joy. Smiled at my imaginings. Then the time came to remove the wrap and
expose the gift. Blood pumping fast
through my heart I wondered which of the wonderful imaginings it would it
be. Then I saw it. The color drained from my face, and my heart
skipped a beat or two. I had to tell
myself to breathe. Maybe I saw it
wrong. Looking more closely, I realized
my eyes had not been mistaken. I gasped
in horror! Abba, you have to be
kidding! A quick thought goes through
my head. Check the nametag. Maybe it was a mistake, though I cannot ever
remember my dear Abba ever making a mistake.
Maybe I could rewrap it and place someone else’s name on it? Or could I just give it back?
I
looked with disbelief at my Abba. Daddy
why? What horrible thing have I done to
deserve this? Please, take it back. Eyes full of compassion and wisdom look into
eyes of horror and disbelief. With a
strong and sure voice filled with love my Abba speaks, “This is a gift of
purpose.” I could only stare in
open-mouth astonishment.
What is purpose when one is dreaming of
excitement, awe, and pleasure! How can
I endure such a gift? My brother! I’ll take it to him; he’ll do something with
it. Seeking my brother, I lay the gift
at his feet. He knows all about this
gift, evident by his scars. With a look
of pleading, I ask him to take it. But
with the same eyes as our Abba, he looks at me. Placing a arm lovingly over my shoulder he says, “We’ll carry
this together.” But can’t you just take
it? “Yes, I could, but then what would
happen to the purpose?”
The Unwanted Gift
I
pray for those who are recipients of this gift to find encouragement, and for
those who have never received the gift, that you will better understand how
best to pray for those who have. For
those who may have the gift but never recognized it as such, I pray God will
provide spiritual eyesight. This gift
is very misunderstood. Many would be
more apt to label it a curse, rather than a gift. Countless are only looking for a way to escape or rid themselves
of it. The gift I refer to is that of
pain.
God
has placed many riches within this package called pain, but to receive these
riches, the gift must be accepted.
Those who are experiencing pain may be scoffing at that last
sentence. Who in their right mind would
accept pain if given the choice? I am
not saying anyone would or should ask for it, but rather that if you have it,
come to a place where you are at rest or at peace with it. Go through your period of grief, anger,
fear, and then rest and look for whatever purpose God may have within your
pain. Move beyond self, self-pity,
self-comfort, self-consciousness, self-wants.
We have to get away from what we want and seek what God would want for
us. We have to go beyond ourselves and
seek God. Die to self. Even Jesus died to self as He spoke these
words in the garden, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26: 39 Dying to self can be more the battle than
the illness or disease.
I
am not saying to pray for healing and
deliverance is wrong. I do it
myself! I pray each day for God’s
healing and restoration to the bodies of those on my prayer list who suffer or
have loved ones who are suffering. God
does heal which is evident from His word.
However, God does allow ‘thorns’ into our lives. And lest I should be exalted above
measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to
me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning
this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from
me. And He said to me, "My grace
is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in
my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,
in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong. 2
Corinthians 12:7-10 Yes,
I want healing. More so I want to see
things through to the finish, and accomplish that which God intends through the
pain. For the word of God is
quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrew 4: 12 Praise God that He knows the intents
and desires of my heart.
Known
unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world… Acts 15: 18 God knows what is going
on. He is never at an uncertainty. And please, if you have been discouraged by
“Job Comforters” remember His thoughts toward His own are thoughts of good
and not of evil. For I know
the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and
not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 28: 11 He is
working towards the expected end, which will be in His due time.
God
is bigger, stronger, and more powerful than any other power! He could intervene and change circumstances
whenever He chooses. But God is a love
that so often is beyond our understanding or comprehension. His is a love that desires not only to give
us the best, but more importantly make us the best! He is in the business of making champions…Spiritual
champions. He knows what needs to be
done. He knows what it will take to accomplish the things of heaven. He knows how to make the best. What I see time and again in the Bible is
the best so often come through adversity, pain, suffering, and death. Death to self. Take a peek at the Bible’s hall of fame Hebrew 11: 4-38. These children of God who lived by faith have
died and suffered extraordinary things.
Look at the ministry of Paul…For I will shew him how great things
he must suffer for my name's sake.
Acts 9: 16 Even today suffering and pain are marks borne by
Christian’s worldwide.
And
he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross daily, and follow me.
For whoever will save his life shall lose it: but whoever will lose his
life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luke 9: 23-24
People
wear pretty golden, silver, and jeweled crosses around their necks. In truth, the cross was coarse and
splintered, splattered with the life saving blood of Yeshua. There were no diamonds, or precious jewels,
but only the marks from the nails. If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily. Matthew 16:24. For some of us that means
sickness. It means isolation and
misunderstanding especially from the saints themselves.
So
ask for the obvious, “Elohim, stir up thy strength and save me.” However, do not miss God’s purpose. God has placed many riches inside pain. Will you allow Him to reveal them to you? Then shall ye call upon me, and ye
shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye
shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29: 12-13.
I
praise your name Jehovah Rapha who is my healer and the one who makes a bitter
cup sweet. Bring comfort and purpose to
each who suffers. Let people look
beyond the sickness of body and see the health of ones spirit. Bring health and restoration to your
children.
Years
of health challenges have marked my heart with a scar of compassion for those
who suffer with pain and exhaustion every day. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in
thy salvation. I will sing unto the
Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13: 5-6
Many
view sickness and disease as a weakness.
Can strength be born of weakness?
It would not be the first time it happened. Out of weakness they were made strong…Hebrews 11: 34 My faith has been made stronger by the testimony of others who
have stood strong and have ministered from the misery of pain.
I
have talked about purpose and pain. I
would like to give you a couple of real examples. First, when my daughter, Roxanne, was about three and a half
years old I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. My first thought toward God was how could you give so much to me
just to take it away. You see, I have
an unbelievable husband, and Roxanne was an answer to my prayer when I was
31. However, God intended it for
good. I have been a Christian all my
life, but it was at this point when God pulled me into a deeper, closer, and
fuller relationship with Him. It was
the shaking up that I needed to become more serious in my relationship with
Him.
Secondly,
there was a point (I’ve been at this point more than once) when I was just
tired - tired of pain, tired of doctors, tired of being tired. I was spending more time in waiting rooms
than at home - test after test, doctor after doctor. How I longed to have people stop poking and prying. I wondered what purpose this could possibly
have. How was all this being used for
the kingdom? Abba in His love brought
faces before me whom I had prayed for and/or spoken words of encouragement.
If
you want to find the hurting, spend the day in the doctor’s office. If you are looking for the scared, spend the
day in the radiology waiting room. The
frustrated can be found waiting for the pharmacist to fill ANOTHER
prescription. The desperate are having
vials of blood taken from them. If you
are looking for the sorrowful ones, sit among the spouses. For those who do not understand sit with the
children. If you ask to see through
the eyes of Yeshua, I hazard to guess you will find these same individuals
right next door to where you live.
Blessed
[be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and
the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may
be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we
ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us,
so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2
Corinthians 1: 3-5
