What If Healing Doesn't Come?
My Pastor is really sick. We all thought God was going to heal him (again!)—He has been sick before, the numbers weren’t good before, and God healed him. Hallelujah! So what is different this time? Why wouldn’t He heal him again? We have all been crying out for healing for months, but this time His healing (like all of ours one day) may only come in Heaven. How can we argue God’s will when literally thousands are praying? The Word says “when two or more are gathered”—well, in this case, literally thousands have been gathered and are praying for him. Why does immediate healing come for some and not for others?
These are just some of the thoughts and questions I have been wrestling through in this process. How do we graciously walk through “God’s will” when it’s not our plan? I know so many times “God’s plan” has not been my plan, or idea of what is best. So how do I NOT lose hope or faith through the huge disappointments in life? I am realizing all of this is so much more than just my Pastor being ill. Every day we all have to live with the disappointments in our life, things that didn’t go “our way”. How do we wrestle through these things? How does our faith grow rather than fizzle out in disappointment? As I have been reflecting on my Pastor’s ministry in my own life, one of the biggest lessons he has taught me (and he has taught me MANY!) is that we can trust God in the hardest of times.
By no means do I have all the answers, but I wanted to share my heart as I have been struggling through this disappointment and loss…
"Comfort, comfort my people says the Lord.” Isaiah 40:1
First, I believe it’s totally okay to be frustrated, disappointed and even angry with God’s plan. In fact, if we aren’t honest with our feelings they will just hold us back from true intimacy with God. God wants us to be honest with Him in all things, even our feelings and disappointments.
King David was the ONLY person in the Bible who was described as “a man after God’s own heart”—and yet David wrote Psalm after Psalm about his grief and disappointment. He was honest with God. What a good model for us to be honest with Him too. By the way, I just heard in a sermon that 51 Psalms were written anonymously. I don’t want to brag, but I could have been the writer of one or two of them.. (just kidding of course!) And on another note, I have also learned that if we can’t find a way to laugh in the midst of our sadness, it will bury us. So whenever possible we need to make sure that even in tragedy and sadness, we find something to laugh about. I hope my joke made you laugh. ;)
Second, I want to “trust God” even when I don’t like His plan. I want to wholeheartedly lean in and learn to trust Him in ALL things. Not just when things go my way. Death happens, divorce happens, tragedy happens, life happens. The Word says “it rains on the just and the unjust alike”. And the Word also says that God has “good plans for us” AND more importantly that “He will never leave nor forsake us”. He is walking us through all our hardships.
Isaiah 63:9a “In all their distress he too was distressed”
Third, I have to accept the fact that NOT every bad thing in my life is an enemy attack. I believe we give the enemy way to much credit. Much of the brokenness in this world is from the Fall and it is just part of life. Everything is constantly deteriorating but by the Grace of God one day all things will be made new. Hallelujah! It’s hard to accept that God’s will may be to take my Pastor home. But if he goes, there is no doubt in my mind or heart that it is God’s will. This will NOT be the enemy’s victory. God doesn’t work like that. When so many are praying and pressing in for His will…His will WILL be done. So whether He is healed on earth or is called home for His healing, I will rejoice because God’s will was done!
My Pastor is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and trusts Him fully with his future. He has taught me that true hope in the face of despair comes from our Comforter when we seek Him.
I just listened to a sermon he preached a little over a year ago and I encourage all of you to watch it as well—it is called “Our Hope In The Face Of Despair” and it is powerful!
Pastor Ron said "Hope is something we do with our life”.
Together lets live a life full of hope, full of trust and full of passionate devotion whether God’s will is our plan or not. God knows best, even when we disagree with Him. I also want to encourage us all to hit our knees and pray that in our disappointments and losses we don’t allow our faith to fizzle out. Be honest with God and someone close to you about your disappointments and losses, allow them in to your thoughts and feelings so that they can pray for you and help heal your soul.
Please pray for my amazing Pastor, his wonderful and gracious wife Cathi and their beautiful family. Also, please pray for our Church. Pastor Ron has a unique way of uniting people and making us all feel like a family, and our family is hurting right now. The man is anointed, gifted and precious and I totally love and adore him.
May we all learn to trust God more and allow His Spirit to lead and guide us to peace and joy even through the tragedy, loss and disappointment that are part of life in this world.
God’s peace and grace to us all!
Love,
