An interesting thing happened at Sunday morning service – an elderly lady requested prayer for a sore leg. There was nothing unusual about that and I asked a couple of the leaders to petition God for healing. After the prayer, she said she felt much better, but when she turned to go she winced painfully and it was apparent that her leg was still sore. I said nothing as I watched her clinging to the pews for balance. She was back for evening service and I asked how she felt. She smiled and said she felt fine, she knows that God had touched and healed her. The expression in her eyes, however, told a different story, one of defeat and pain. It’s time for Christians to be real.
The Christian Life is a real life of flesh and bone. There are times when we have plenty and times of shortage, days filled with joy and others with sorrow, we feel pain and cold and loss, but there are so many Christians today living a life of denial, believing that doing otherwise shows a lack of faith, people who insist that positive thinking is the same as faith.
Moses, in the wilderness, did not thank the Lord for a wonderful, obedient group of people that he was to lead to the Promised Land. In fact, the Lord, Himself, called them stiff-necked and disobedient (Exodus 32:9) and Moses complained bitterly about his lot. He did not thank the Lord for making him such an important leader, no, he wanted out. He begged to be rid of the responsibility.
David at Ziklag after the Amalekites had burnt the city and kidnapped his family and the families of his men, cried out and lamented his loss. He did not shrug and say all would be fine.
Hezekiah, surrounded by enemies, brought the letter calling on him to surrender to the Assyrians, before the Lord and literally cried out, “Open Your eyes and read what they have written. I am unable to fight them.” He accepted his situation and his inability to do anything about it, and because he did, God could work.
Jonah in the belly of the fish accepted that he was dying. Paul did not testify to a life of success, he admitted to hardship and pain, punishment and deprivation.
These are all men of faith who believed in ultimate victory even in the worst of circumstances. They did not deny the hardships they were going through with positive thoughts, - it could be worse or it is not so bad. No, they cried and shouted and beat the air. And, oftentimes, God would step in, and not always with healing or freedom or resources. Often it was with more problems, more hardships, and more work. Paul had to live with the thorn in his side. David had to accept the death of his child. All the apostles, except one, were martyred. Through the ages Christians were crucified, fed to wild animals, chased, and persecuted. I believe with all my heart God heals, He provides, He rescues but I also believe He sees the bigger picture which includes the consequences down the road.
Isaiah 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says Jehovah. V:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Jesus said:
Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are in the way with him; that the opponent not deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. (Mat 5:25)
‘Adversary’ in the original Greek is ‘antidikos’ which is made up of two words: ‘anti’- which means opposite or contrasting with and ‘-dike’ which means right. Simply put adversary is the opposite of what is right. Jesus tells us to agree with our adversary before we are judged. When we are hurting admit it, anything else is a lie.
Merriam-Webster defines adversary as ‘one that contends with, opposes, or resists: an enemy or opponent.’ ‘having or involving antagonistic parties or opposing interests’.
Being positive is good, it is therapeutic and motivational but there comes a time when we need to be honest, not only with ourselves but also with God and with our problem or adversary.
Who is your enemy? Your enemy can have different names. Your adversary need not be the devil or sin. Pain or lack, heartache or addiction, or even our own bad decisions can be just as oppressive and debilitating.
A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends – Baltasar Gracian.
Why the pain?
It is good to believe God for anything according to His will – it is also good to remember that God tests us. He tests our faith and our obedience. Agreeing with your adversary i.e. acknowledging my leg is sore, I prayed but it is still sore brings us to a place where we can move a step up the spiritual ladder, where we can ask “why”. Why is it still sore? What is God teaching me by not healing me immediately? How can I grow spiritually through this experience? The widow didn’t turn away and say, “God will sort it out sooner or later.” No, she returned to the unjust judge over and over again till she got his attention.
The quicker we accept the situation, the quicker we learn, the quicker the answer, the quicker the solution, and the quicker we can move on to greater things in our spiritual walk.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
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