But I was thinking hard at CG last night, because of prayer requests, and praises, and the things on our hearts in the past weeks regarding abiding when things don’t go right. And I was contemplating the reasons for sickness, the purpose of the miracles that God works in the lives of those suffering from illness, accidents, pain, disease, etc. I am part of a lot of prayer groups on facebook, and my husband and I have talked multiple times about how most of the prayers we hear, most of the requests we make, and most of the things on the Sunday bulletin are lists upon lists of medical issues, physical afflictions, or awful accidents that we are petitioning that He heal.
Our King is the great physician.
He is the Master and Creator of the things that we see, the bodies we live in, and the maintainer of each and every system in our body. He can do what doctors can’t and He can produce healing for those who love Him.
But what happens when He doesn’t?
And what happens when the cancer doesn’t go away, or the awful accident that happens actually brings death or paralysis, or the health problems just don’t stop and keep coming on and the suffering doesn’t cease?
What happens then?
And this might look like a post on the problem of pain. I’m not sure it is. Maybe it will turn out that way, maybe not. But to me, it’s mostly about our King’s promises, and His purposes, and the things we assume about them.
So, obviously the NT is racked with miracles. You can find Jesus healing afflictions left and right, showing His amazing power and glory to those around Him and telling them to “go, and sin no more”. Our God is a powerful and merciful God to heal. But to what point and purpose? Those people, though they were healed by our miraculous and wonderful Savior, they are all physically dead now. The healing didn’t give them immortal bodies. They died.
Now, I’m getting a little down and depressing I’m sure, but stay trekking with me here. These people were not healed for the purpose of their healing. They were not healed because God wanted them to be healthy and happy and successful. Our merciful and wonderful God healed people so that we would glorify Him.
This is why we were created, to GLORIFY OUR GOD. In Genesis, God creates man and woman in his own image (1:27) and then immediately tells them to multiply his image over all of the earth (1:28). In Isaiah it expounds on this with God saying “everyone who is called by my name, who I created for my glory…” All throughout the OT God has mercy for his name’s sake. Not for us, but for His glory (Isaiah 48:9, Ezekiel 20:44).
So, this morning I was skimming around and saw a post. And I was reading a reference it made to Daniel 3, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were saved by God for his Glory in the face of Nebuchadnezzar’s wrath. This is such an amazing story, because we reference our trials as a fire so often, and in this instance God literally saved these faithful men from the fire, bringing them away un-singed and unharmed. I think the really remarkable part of this story is that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego don’t only say that God can save them (which they do, in 3:17), but that even if he does not they will not bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s idol.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were resolved to God’s will. They understood that God’s glory would be shown, and His will may be that they die. They understood that He never promised that they wouldn’t be burned. They understood that He never promised they would be delivered from the fire. But because He is God, the one and only true God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, He would be glorified. And so they glorified Him in their acceptance of whatever He had chosen for them. Not because He would save them (they said He “is able” not that He was going to), but because they knew His power and they knew He was worthy of their obedience, despite what might happen to them.
God doesn’t promise we won’t get hurt. He doesn’t promise we won’t get burned when the fire comes. He promises eternal life with Him, He promises to be there, but says the world will hate us because we are of Him (Matthew 10:22, John 15:18). He tells us to be not afraid “of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Doesn’t that sound exactly like what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did?
I have always worried that God wouldn’t heal those around us. Not for the healing, but because faith is tricky. If my prayers are unanswered, will I continue to follow Him? Will I continue to have the faith to proclaim His amazing name? Further, if the healing does come, will I continue to be faithful and obedient, holding close to Him and to His promises when things are blessed and not painful? Or will I forget about Him?
Before I decided to follow Him I prayed in that way. My faith was tied to the outcome of my prayers. And I worry for those around me who depend on that. Because our God is mighty to save, but He knows better than I what will glorify Him most.
And now I worry for those around me who aren’t following. Will their prayers be answered, and if they are, will they glorify God because of His mercy and His provision? Or will they continue on their path away? And more, if their prayers go unanswered, will they feel betrayed by our God, will they rebel?
I think that all disappears with us realizing our purpose, and the purpose of those miracles. When we realize that His purposes are not always the same as ours, and His understanding is far greater than ours, we don't wane in our faith.
It is my prayer that anyone who reads this will see His purposes, His knowledge, His understanding and His glory and worthiness, and glorify God despite, and in the midst of trials.
