Wounds That Never Heal

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

Thank God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross every believer is saved from their sins, we have been spiritually healed and made right with God. Yet that does not mean we are free of the wounds and scars that come from living on this earth.

King Henry III had a terrible wound on his leg that never healed. The famous outlaw Jesse James was shot in the chest, it was a wound that also never completely healed. Both famous and not so famous people have suffered from wounds that never healed. Sometimes the wounds are to the body, and sometimes to the soul.

During one year for many months I endured a painful wound that I thought would never heal. I have had other wounds lasting for months and years. Long lasting wounds can sap our energy, discourage and frustrate us. Such wounds can cause us unending pain and suffering.

How do we endure long lasting afflictions? How do we survive unending wounds both internal and external? We need encouragement, we need compassion, we sometimes need a helping hand, and we always need Jesus.

You may find yourself living with a wound, or several wounds that refuse to heal. Pain, frustration, weakness from your wound may be draining the life from you, leaving you feeling weak and vulnerable. You may need help from others, and you may have to exercise your faith by relying even more upon the Lord, but know that you are not alone in your pain and misery.

We live in a world that inflicts pain upon us in many ways, sometimes the physical pain is unbearable, in other cases it is mental and emotional pain and suffering that brings us to our knees. When you find yourself falling to your knees in pain and misery, I would encourage you to look up to Jesus, pray and lay your burdens at His feet.

Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes our wounds seem to never heal. At times our suffering seems unending. We ask You to lift our burdens, ease our worries, and help us to never forget You have better things in store for us. Amen.

Are You Afraid To Hope?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

   but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 (NIV)

Two of my worst times in the past year have been during periods when I dared to raise my hopes about improvement in my condition and situation, only to see those hopes dashed by the reality of my illness.

When disappointment visits us frequently we can find ourselves discouraged, depressed, and even angry at God. We can also become so wary of disappointment and of high hopes that we dial back our hope, perhaps even stop hoping for better days at all.

I wish I could tell you that you will not be disappointed in your hopes, and that your illness will never dash your hopes, but my experience is that illness can crush high hopes as easily as a fly struck down by a strong hand.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is picking ourselves up again when the crushing waves of disappointment strike us to the ground. Finding ways to rebuild our hope, even daring to hope for better things and better days when our hope is deferred.

This life can leave us with disappointments, especially those of us who are chronically ill. Yet we still need hope, and God continues to encourage us onward and forward, despite the setbacks that try to drag us down.

Perhaps you are afraid to hope, having been let down by life and illness so many times. I would encourage you to remember that we do not face disappointment alone, there is One who can pick up back up and rebuild our hope. Look to Jesus, He is an expert at getting back up after being knocked down by life.

Prayer: Dear Lord, We are angry, frustrated, and disappointed by illness and the limitations forced on us by illness. Yet help us to keep hope alive, and to always be honest with ourselves about our limitations. Amen.

Karlton Douglas

Copyright 2016

Our Frequent Illnesses

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.  1Tmothy 5:23 (NIV)

During a recent doctor visit I told my doctor: “I don't need another problem.” He replied: “I know.”
    
Additional illnesses and extra diagnosis’s are things we do not want. If you are like me, you really just want the affliction merry-go-round to stop. I'm guessing that you feel exactly the same as I do when additional illnesses are added to the scale of your already overburdened affliction account.

My “extra” illness is diabetes. I've been non-diabetic, pre-diabetic, and now am diagnosed diabetic. I have packet to carry around to check my blood with, and an additional medication, and one more thing to worry about.

Sometimes you feel like you have “paid your dues.” You have had your share of suffering, you have done your time in the prison of affliction, and need a reprieve or a complete pardon. Life is not fair, that is the most difficult pill we have to swallow, it is the hard reality we face. As our our list of afflictions grow, we can find ourselves lacking the resources to meet the obligations our afflictions cast upon us.

Pray, pray, pray, every Christian with their own list of afflictions must take that long list before the Lord. I've said more than once that I have no idea how those who do not call upon the Lord can survive chronic and continual afflictions. Prayer energizes us, gives us hope, peace and strength. Prayer reminds us we do not carry our burdens alone. And prayer puts into motion the resources from above that we will need to endure and overcome and simply survive affliction.

My fellow Christians, my brothers and sisters in affliction, let us encourage one another in the Lord,  and lift each other up in prayer. We do not walk alone in our afflictions, and we are not without help. Let us continually remind each other of this truth. For the Lord is our strength and help in affliction.

Dear Lord, as added burdens come, give us added grace, peace, and strength. Amen.

Karlton Douglas
copyright 2016

We Have Hope

We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 1 Chronicles 29:15 (NIV)

In the Greek myth of “Pandora's Box” the first woman on earth was given a beautiful box, but told that she was never to open it. Yet she could not resist, and went ahead and opened the beautiful box. When the box was opened, according to the myth, all the evil that we now suffer in the world came out of the box. Too late, Pandora tried to close the lid of the box, but the evil had already escaped, yet she found one thing left in the box—hope.

Even the pagan Greeks realized we needed hope to offset the terrible evils in the world. Without hope how could we ever endure the suffering and affliction that plagues humanity? Yet, thanks be to God, we do have hope through the risen Savior Jesus.

If we were stuck forever in the worst times of our suffering, that would be a kind of hell on earth. To never have the hope of being free of pain, free of misery, to find no relief for our suffering—that is unthinkable.

What peace, what mercy, what relief to know, to have hope, that there are better days ahead. How wonderful to know that there is a rainbow of hope after our storms of life.

Hope is the anchor of our soul. It inspires us to move forward when we can hardly move at all. It gives us strength when all strength is gone. And it motivates us to take chances even when we have rolled the dice in the past and come up empty.

Whatever trials and troubles you are facing, whatever evils have been let loose upon your life, trust in God, plant your hope firmly in Him. When you do, you will find the strength and forward momentum that derives from hope invested in God.

Dear Lord, we thank You for hope, and the strength we find by hoping in You. Amen.

Karlton Douglas
copyright 2016

Keeping A Relaxed Attitude

A relaxed attitude lengthens life; jealousy rots it away. Proverbs 14:30 (TLB)

Too often in life we are troubled by circumstances and difficulties that are beyond our control. Events can quickly change, and troubles can rise like a flood. In such circumstances it is often our attitude that determines how well we survive and endure. I must admit that too often my attitude is the first thing to go out the window when I am hit with hardships.

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (KJV)

Initial reactions to difficult circumstances are hard to control, for often we react with our “gut”, with our feelings. Yet when we have a chance to think about the events surrounding us, and the fact that God is with us and helping us--we develop a new perspective. Our eyes adjust to the world with deeper vision when our minds are fixed upon God.

Psa 112:7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

Psa 112:8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. (KJV)

A relaxed attitude begins and ends with a heart and mind fixed upon the Lord. Only by trusting in God when events seem overwhelming, can we stand fast and not be moved by difficult and terrible circumstances.

I like something I recently was reminded of. It is a little word play to help us keep perspective.

Fear is:

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

How true that is. When we begin to see our fears as more real and greater in power than our God, then we succumb to them. But when we see God and His power as much greater than our phantom fears, such fears have a tendency to disappear in light of the truth of God's presence and provision for us, even when we find ourselves in the midst of horrible circumstances.

Dear Lord, help us to focus upon You, and to maintain a relaxed and faithful attitude no matter the circumstances. Amen.

Karlton Douglas

copyright 2016

Fair Weather Followers

1Co 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (KJV)

Are you a “fair weather follower”? Do you stand strong in your faith and loyalty to Christ only when everything is going well, and no problems loom in your life?

One of the chronic arguments against God is that if there were truly a God, He would not allow _____________ (fill in the blank). There all sorts of excuses including tragedies, losses, suffering, and hardship. However, that question could be turned around: Do you think that God would preside over a fairy tale world without challenges? Do you think that because God allows humans free will and choice to do good or evil that somehow He has abandoned His creation?

 

The Bible makes clear that God expects us to represent Him well when things are easy, and when things get hard. He is God on the warm day of summer, and during the winter blizzard. The real question is not whether God still presides in a difficult world, but rather--are we still faithful when our world faces challenges and difficulties, when hardships enter our lives?

Luk 18:8 He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith? (CEV)

I have seen a number of people over the years who attend church, smiles on their faces, and appear to be the perfect followers of Christ. Yet when something changes at the church they dislike, or when they feel they have been slighted, they turn against the church, and might never attend church again. 

 

Others are faithful just so long as no terrible challenge or tragedy comes their way, but when hardship arrives, they blame God and turn aside from the faith that would bring them through their storm. This is a “fair weather follower”, one who appears to be a loyal and faithful follower of Christ, but then turn against their beliefs, or no longer serve the beliefs they once claimed when the weather in their world gets stormy. 

Christians are sometimes easy people to offend, we can become far too touchy, hyper-sensitive to slights, perceived or otherwise, and there is something wrong with that. We are founded upon the Rock, a blood-bought, covenant-made people of Jesus Christ. We ought not to be weak and fickle in our faith. We must never be fair weather followers of God. We are called to be better than that, and with the Lord's help we will be.

Dear Lord, we will face difficulties in this world, and we would rather not have to deal with problems, but no matter what comes our way, please help us to be steadfast, faithful followers of You. Amen.

Karlton Douglas

copyright 2016

Suffering And Comfort

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.
Philippians 1:29 (NLT)

Can suffering ever be considered a good thing? I think most of us would be very happy to avoid suffering, for suffering means pain and hardship, anguish and misery. We generally fear suffering, and try to avoid it as much as possible.

who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” Hebrews 5:7-10 (NKJV)

We see that Jesus suffered on earth, He not only suffered through death on the cross, He suffered anguish over the idea of dying on a cross before he reached that cross. Jesus knew what it was to suffer in body and mind. The author George MacDonald said the following:

“The Son of God suffered unto the death, not that men might not suffer, but that their suffering might be like His.”

That is a powerful statement, especially in the time we live in, for some modern preaching insists that we are never to suffer any hardship or pain, never to endure difficulties, or illness, or any real suffering. We want to hear the message that suffering is forever removed from us, yet our experience is that suffering is not removed from our lives, or the lives of our loved ones.

Jesus died, not that we might never suffer anything again on earth, but that we will know a time in heaven that is free of suffering, and we know in the here and now that Jesus is with us in our suffering, and that our pain matters to Him.
Jesus will sometimes remove our pain, and He promises to never let more come our way than we can endure.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Yet we also know that God does not remove all suffering from 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 (NKJV)

Jesus died for our sins, giving us the hope of an eternity free of pain and suffering in heaven. But He did not leave us without hope and help for our time here on earth. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and to strengthen us through our times of suffering. Take just a moment and consider that the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Comforter. Think about that, why would the Holy Spirit be called the Comforter? It is because God knows we need comfort on this earth for the many things we suffer through. We need the comforting Holy Spirit in our lives.

You may be suffering right now. Jesus’ death gives meaning to our suffering, for He suffered more than most of us can comprehend, He knows what suffering is, and He will be with us no matter what suffering we are going through.

Call upon the Lord in your times of suffering, and allow His Holy Spirit to bring comfort to your heart.

Dear Lord, we wish that our lives were free of suffering, yet we know that obedience and faith come through hardship, and we pray that You will keep us strong, and give us comfort, no matter what comes our way. Amen.

Karlton Douglas
copyright 2016