Healing and Suffering

In the business of healing there is no prescribed method. God is not our genie God who grants us our three wishes and poof they happen. God is our Healer. He is the one who heals us. Do not get me wrong, I do believe that. I do believe in miracles. Like I said in my last post, He has worked so many in my life I cannot even keep count any longer. I just hope that I have journaled them so I do not become a spoiled brat complaining over everything that comes my way that I do not like.

First, I do believe we are to ask God for anything. Nothing is too small or too big.

You do not have, because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.~James 2b-3.

Now, the principal of this verse still applies to prayer though the situation they are dealing with is a big different in the text. However, I will never be found to not have something because I failed to ask. I am going to ask God for everything.

Four years ago God did heal me of these issues. He took them completely away. Not because I deserved it. Not because I have earned it. Simply because of His great grace. God does what He wants. God has His ways all to work out for His glory. Who are we to question Him?

All I know is that I want to know Him--to really know Him. If this is the case then I must also take into account in sharing in His life. This verse explains it well.

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" ~Philippians 3:10

I have seen and experienced that resurrection power in my body. I have witnessed many resurrection miracles in my life alone. I love the resurrection part. In fact that same resurrection power lives within us if we are His (Ephesians 1:19-20). We have that amazing power in us! In these decaying jars of clay. Is that not amazing?!

Yet, to truly know Him not only do we have the privilege of of participating and receiving His power we also get to share in the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like Him in death. Oh now this is the part we do not like. We don't desire to suffer. But to really know Him is to share in His sufferings. How can we truly know our Savior if all we do is tap into His power and sufferings as He allows us to.

It is in sharing in the suffering where we truly are changed. We are transformed more into His image. We need to take hold of Him in this. We need to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, follow Him (Luke 9:23). This denying ourselves business is a death. It is a death to ourselves that allows us the privilege of becoming more like Him.

What are you suffering with today? Where are you participating in the sufferings of Christ? Take heart you are becoming more like Him and it is temporary. God allows all things in His timing. These things do not last forever.

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~2 Corinthians 4:16-18