Recently I was talking to an old school friend. He had been through a crisis with cancer some ten years ago. Around that time, he was marvellously saved and eventually healed of cancer. The Lord even told him he would not have to battle with cancer again. But just the past month he was found with active cancer cells once more. He was devastated. How could this be happening! Had not God promised him he would not have to battle cancer again? How could He break His word?
My friend said he felt like God had forsaken him. I shared with him some of the thoughts on this subject I had read a few months ago from the book God On Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer by Pete Grieg. In the book, Pete shares his personal experience with unanswered prayer. His wife suffers with epileptic attacks. As a firm believer in the ability of God to answer prayer and miraculously heal, Pete prays desperately each time his wife suffers an attack. Most of the time, it seems God does not answer his prayers and they rush off for medical assistance to the nearest hospital or clinic. But at times, He does answer.
One time when they were vacationing in the mountains of Virginia, his wife had another horrible attack. However, they were far from any kind of medical help. Pete prayed as he always does. But on this occasion, God heard his prayer and his wife supernaturally recovered. But why does it seem at times that God does not answer our prayers? Pete goes on to explain how Jesus Himself had to suffer the death of a sinner forsaken by God in His death on the cross.
Remember the words of Jesus from the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Jesus had to experience the feeling of being forsaken by God to become a high priest that is touched with the feeling of our infirmity. He has gone through this same experience and knows how it feels, so He can therefore understand what we are going through. That does not mean He will always reach down and heal us, as I explained to my friend. But he can give us grace for the trial like the old poem teaches.
God has not promised
Skies always blue
Flower-strewn pathways
all our life through;
God has not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.
But God has promised
Strength for the day
Rest from our labour,
Light for the way,
Grace for all trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.
(Annie Johnson Flint)
I then shared with my friend the passage in Hebrew 11:36-39 where the author discusses some of the old great saints of God.
"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise."
In other words, they suffered for their faith, and it seemed that God had failed them, and He did not rescue them, and they "received not the promise." But He gave them what they needed, he gave them dying grace. Some even raised their hands as they died as a predetermined signal to their family that God was giving them supernatural strength to endure the cruel death they were suffering at the hands of their enemies.
Two brothers were imprisoned and were to be burned at the stake for their faith. The older brother was to be burned first and so his younger brother, who was experiencing a great trial of faith, asked him to lift up his hands during his execution if God was giving him dying grace. And low and behold, just as the flames enveloped his body, the brother who was watching from his prison window saw his older brother raise his hands in praise unto God. God was giving him dying grace.
Hebrews 12 goes on the explain that it is through looking unto Jesus we are able to endure suffering and affliction and He will help us not to be wearied and faint in our minds. (Hebrews 12:3) So if you feel you are fainting, wearied and unable to endure, maybe you need to spend more time in prayer and fellowship with Jesus looking unto Him for strength, faith and grace to carry on. Spend time with God. He will answer your prayers. He will help you.
God may not reach down and touch you and heal. But He will give you the grace for the trial. He will give you His unfailing sympathy and undying love.
"Fear not, for I am with you: be not dismayed for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness." Isaiah 41:10
"Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is He weary? There is no searching His understanding. He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
Jesus Himself said, "Come unto Me all you that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength: and you would not. Isaiah 30:15
If we don't spend the quality time with God that we need daily, we will run out of steam. He is the source of everything we need.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say on the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14
And let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:1c-3
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Hebrews 10:35-37.
Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid .... for the Lord your God, He it is that does go with you; He will not fail you, nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Here's another poem by Annie Johnson Flint who suffered with a debilitating illness for almost 40 years and was bed ridden most of the time. She wrotes,
He sendeth more strength as our labours increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
Listen to it song below.
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