Why Doesn't God Heal Me?

WHY DOESN'T GOD HEAL ME?

Copyright 1994 - 2008 Endtime Prophecy Net

Last Updated : July 23, 2006

Bodily Afflictions, My Infant Accident, Personal Weaknesses,
By God's Design, Common Afflictions And Temptations, Weak
For His Glory, Dangers Of Pride, We're Nothing Without The
Anointing, God's Choice To Deliver, Paul's Affliction, God
Keeps His Word, His Grace Is Sufficient, Kept Humble Through
Afflictions, WordWeaver's Quest For Healing, High Nature Of
God's Thoughts, Count Your Blessings, Honest Faith, Pray For
Healing, Faith A Two-Way Operation, Paul's Gift Of Healing,
Give God The Glory, Pride, Conditional Faith And Obedience

Recently, a young Christian friend wrote to me regarding
some questions he has concerning physical ailments, and the
possibilities of having them rectified by means of modern
science and medicine. It seems that this dear brother was
born prematurely; and as a result of this, he suffers from
certain physical limitations. This includes one eye which is
totally blind, and the other having very poor vision; thus
resulting in his need to use strong corrective lenses.

You know, one thing which amazes me, is that I have come to
realize that there are quite a few Christians in the world,
and I include myself in this group, who are rather pitiful
in the flesh. We suffer from a rather wide range of physical
problems; from chronic migraine headaches, to back problems,
to a partial or full loss of sight or hearing, to polio, to
heart problems, to digestive problems, to missing some or
all of our members, to various forms of cancer, and more.
Despite this fact, unlike many worldly people, who are quick
to curse God, or at least to question His existence, Wisdom
and Power when they are afflicted with such personal health
problems, we Christians continue to love Jesus and His Word,
and praise His Name. Unspiritual people of the world simply
cannot understand this behavior on our part. To some of
them, our attitude borders on lunacy. I am reminded of the
following words written by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle
to the Corinthians:

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the
abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn
in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I
should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought
the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said
unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses
for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

I am also reminded of some of my daughter's favorite verses
which are found in the first chapter of the Epistle of
James. They state:

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith
worketh patience." (James 1:2-3)

While my personal health situation is not as bad as some
other dear Christians that I know, I too have had my share
of fleshly battles and difficulties, and still do. My first
battle occurred when I was barely a month old. I suffered a
mysterious 'accident', which resulted in an extended stay at
the hospital for the first six months of my life. Because of
the 'accident', I developed water on the brain, which made
it necessary for the doctors to cut open, and lift up my
skull in two places, in order to remove the fluid, and thus
reduce the dangerous level of pressure which was beginning
to build up inside of my head. To this day, I still have two
noticeable indentations; one on each side of my head. In
fact, I possess a picture which was taken during that time,
of a very wide-eyed little boy with his head completely
wrapped in bandages, being held up by a nurse.

Since that time so many years ago, I have developed various
other physical ailments and bodily deficiencies as well. At
the age of six, I had to begin wearing corrective lenses. I
also suffer from scoliosis; which is a curvature of one's
spine; digestive problems, chronic migraine headaches which
can sometimes last up to two or three days at a time, ulnal
entrapment syndrome; which is a neural problem similar to
metacarpal tunnel syndrome, which causes one's forearm and
certain fingers to become numb, sometimes to the point that
they cannot function, and sleeping problems. If you add to
this the fact that I am very light in body weight, you will
quickly come to realize that I am not exactly what you might
refer to as 'Mr. Physique'! In short, I am a rather fragile
and weak vessel of clay; but at the same time, I am what God
apparently wanted me to be; for as His Word tells us:

"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in
my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul
knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when
I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest
parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet
being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were
written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet
there was none of them." (Psalms 139:13-16)

So you see, I am what God made me to be; and you are exactly
the way that God ordained for you to be as well; because God
does not make mistakes in His designs. Please do not think
that I share these points regarding my personal health as a
means to obtain pity from my readers, as I most certainly do
not. I actually share them for two reasons. The first reason
is to help some of you, my dear readers, to realize that I
share in your physical afflictions. I am reminded of the
following verses:

"Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in
the world." (1 Peter 5:9)

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to
man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
(1 Corinthians 10:13)

So you see, none of us are alone in our various trials of
faith and bodily afflictions. My second reason for sharing
these things with you, is to show you that God is able to
use anyone; and as I point out in such articles as 'The Only
Credentials You Need!', quite often it is those who are most
likely not to succeed in the eyes of the world. God seems to
delight in using the most foolish, weak and pitiful of His
creations that He can find, in order that He might receive
all of the glory, and not man. Allow me to share with you
some of my favorite verses from that wonderful first chapter
of Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians:

"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the
weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God
hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the
world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, to bring to nought things that
are: That no flesh should glory in his presence."
(1 Corinthians 1:25-29)

I believe that God never gives us more than we are able to
bear. As Paul wrote in the verses I shared earlier from his
Epistle to the Church at Corinth, the Lord gives us exactly
what we need, when we need it, in order to keep us humble
and totally dependent upon Him. He is a jealous God, and He
wants all of the praise, and all of the glory. As Paul says
above, perhaps if we did not have these different bodily
afflictions, we would be so lifted up in our pride, that the
Lord would not even be able to use us for anything. In our
pride and vanity, we would attempt to take the credit to
ourselves every time something good happens as a result of
something we did or said. Even with our afflictions, we are
still tempted to do this very thing, and sometimes do.

As I state in such articles as 'So You Really Think You Are
So Humble?', as well as in 'Love, Mercy Forgiveness And
Chastisement', our pride is one of our biggest enemies. We
must keep on guard against it at every moment; and the more
fruitful our ministry is, the more Satan will try to use our
pride against us; so that we will become ineffective for the
Lord; and He will be forced to remove the anointing of His
Holy Spirit from us. If you think that this is not possible,
then please consider the following verse:

"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy
spirit from me." (Psalms 51:11)

If King David was worried about such a thing happening to
him because of his sins, should not we be concerned as well?
So again, we must not forget our sinful nature. We must not
forget what manner of men and women we are. We must realize
that the only thing that enables us to accomplish anything
for the Lord, is the treasure which we have in our earthen
vessels, that is, in our bodies; and that of course is the
Divine Anointing of God's Holy Spirit. Even Jesus was humble
enough to say 'I can of mine own self do nothing'. Please
consider the following verses:

"For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is
like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For
he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway
forgetteth what manner of man he was." (James 1:23-24)

"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and
my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but
the will of the Father which hath sent me." (John 5:30)

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
(2 Corinthians 4:7)

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not
your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify
God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Returning to my Christian friend, in the message which he
sent to me, he asked me if I felt that it was alright to use
man's wisdom and technology, in order to try to correct his
visual problem. In his message, he used the phrase 'the bad
eye that God gave me'. Let me ask each of you, if you really
believe that the Lord has given you a certain affliction in
the flesh, have you ever taken the time to ask Him why He
may have given it to you? Please do not misinterpret my
words, as I am not trying to make anyone feel condemned;
after all, the Apostle Paul wrote:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit." (Romans 8:1)

The point I wish to make is the following: If a person truly
believes that God has given him a particular affliction, is
it not also correct to believe that the Lord also possesses
the power to remove it if He really wants to? What we each
do in regards to our bodily afflictions, is really a matter
of personal faith; but our faith must be aligned with God's
Will. I delve into this same topic quite extensively in the
series "Death: Final Battle, Final Victory'. Please notice
that in the previous verses, the Apostle Paul tells us that
he sought the Lord three times to take away his affliction.
Some Christians speculate that Paul may have been referring
to poor eyesight, which may have resulted from his Damascus
encounter. I honestly do not know if I can accept this
theory as being correct.

One of the reasons why I say this, is because the Lord sent
Ananias to heal Paul's eyes in Acts chapter nine. We are
very specifically told that Paul was blind for three days,
and that afterwards he received his sight. Consider the
following verses which clarify these points:

"And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were
opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and
brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without
sight, and neither did eat nor drink...And Ananias went his
way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on
him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared
unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou
mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy
Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had
been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and
was baptized." (Acts 9:8-9, 17-18)

For me personally, to entertain the possibility that Paul
still had problems with his eyes afterwards, suggests that
the Lord did not really heal Paul of his blindness; at least
not all of the way. I am not aware of any incidents in the
Bible where the Lord partially healed a person. What kind of
glory would He get out of that? This seems totally contrary
to God's Word, which plainly tells us:

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of
man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not
do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"
(Numbers 23:19)

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot
save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:"
(Isaiah 59:1)

The Lord sent Ananias to heal Paul's eyesight, and that is
precisely what he did. In addition to this point, Paul's
temporary blindness resulted from his direct encounter with
the Lord; yet in discussing his affliction, whatever it was,
he states that 'there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,
the messenger of Satan to buffet me'. If Paul's temporary
blindness was a result of his encounter with the Lord, which
the Lord later healed through Ananias, then for Paul to say
that his affliction was due to a messenger of Satan, seems
totally unrelated to what we read in Acts chapter nine.
Obviously then, Paul's affliction must have been something
else. In addition to what Paul states in the previous verse,
we are given another indication that it had something to do
with some physical weakness, by the following statement Paul
also makes in his second Epistle to the Corinthians:

"For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but
his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."
(2 Corinthians 10:10)

The point which I wish to make from all of this, isn't
really what kind of affliction Paul had, but rather how the
Lord chose to respond when Paul asked three times for it to
be removed from him. What did the Lord tell Paul? He said:

"...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a)

In other words, based upon Paul's own words in the previous
verses when he twice states 'lest I should be exalted above
measure', it seems to me that he readily recognized that the
the Lord was basically saying to him, 'No Paul; I'm sorry;
but you need this affliction. You've been a self-righteous
Pharisee all of your life, and this is the only way that I
can keep you humble, in order that you might remain useful
to me. This way you are forced to rely on My strength, and
not on your own'. As the Lord also instructed the Prophet
Zechariah to tell Zerubbabel:

"...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the
LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6b)

In his message to me, my friend's basic concern was whether
or not it is alright to use prescription lenses, because, as
he stated, they are made by man, whereas our sight is given
to us by the Lord. To answer his question, allow me to share
another interesting, and perhaps amusing, testimony from my
own life. Many years ago, when I first dedicated my life to
Christ, I was associated with a certain religious fellowship
which was located in the northeastern part of the United
States of America. These people believed in Divine Healing;
although to this day, I honestly do not recall having ever
witnessed a bona fide on-the-spot miracle of healing. At any
rate, I was a proud young lad of eighteen years of age; and
on one particular day, we had a Bible study on the topic of
faith and healing.

By the time the class was over, I was so inspired, and had
convinced myself that I was so full of faith, that without
even telling anyone, which is what a younger brother in the
Lord was supposed to do when he has older brothers in the
Lord, I promptly went upstairs, claimed a few verses of
Scripture, and boldly told the Lord that I had the faith to
receive perfect vision. As a demonstration of my utter faith
in His Word, and because I knew that faith must be backed by
works, I took off my glasses, and broke them right in half
in front of the Lord. In short, I burned my bridges; and I
also wasn't able to see properly for the next month either
until a new pair of glasses was purchased for me! What a
humbling experience that was! This is what is referred to as
presumptuous faith. You presume to have faith for something,
while you really don't.

Well, time passed, and maybe three years later, I was down
in Florida, still working for the Lord. Once again, the
second time now, mind you, the desire grew within me to have
my eyes healed by the Lord. This time I think I was a little
wiser; as instead of breaking my glasses, I just didn't wear
them for a while as I waited for the miracle of healing to
occur. I think I may have even fasted a few days that time;
but again, as on the previous occasion, no miracle of
healing occurred.

Well, some four years later, I found myself in Mexico; and
again the desire grew within me to have my eyes healed by
the Lord. This time I really went all out to demonstrate my
faith to the Lord. I fasted and prayed for a full week
non-stop while I kept up my regular witnessing activities.
All I did was drink water during that time, and nothing
else; not even bread as I recall. By the end of the week, I
was extremely weak, and about ready to see my own kind of
'heavenly visions' because of it. Like Paul, this was my
third and most desperate plea before the Lord to heal my
eyes. As you can imagine, He did not do it. Why didn't He?
Was it my lack of faith? Possibly. Had I mistaken pride for
faith? Again, it is quite possible. Was there some terrible
sin in my life? Perhaps. On the other hand, might it simply
be as the Lord told the Apostle Paul when He said:

"...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a)

Perhaps another lesson the Lord is trying to teach some of
us regarding our afflictions, is that we should not question
the ways of the Lord. As we are told by the Patriarch Job,
the Prophet Isaiah, and the Apostle Paul, the thoughts and
the ways of the Lord are simply too high for our limited
minds to grasp. To even attempt such a thing, as some modern
men of science try to do, is pure folly. As the Apostle Paul
also wrote, as mere vessels of clay, who are we to question
our Maker why He has made us thus? Please consider the
following verses:

"Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders
without number." (Job 9:10)

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways
past finding out!" (Romans 11:33)

"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast
thou made me thus?" (Romans 9:20)

In addition to this, might it be possible that the Lord is
simply trying to teach some of us to be thankful for what we
do have? Could it be that we really don't know how to count
our blessings? There is the old story of the person who
didn't know how to appreciate the fact that he had shoes to
wear, even though he had no socks to wear with them, until
the day that he met a man who had no feet. As with Paul, we
all need to learn to say:

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in
whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."
(Philippians 4:11)

Allow me to share another thought. Perhaps it is time that
we are all honest with God, with ourselves, and with each
other, regarding our faith. Regardless of how humbling it
might be for us, sometimes we need to admit that we simply
do not have the faith that we should have. In my particular
case, while the Lord has blessed me with the Gift to write
Scripture-filled articles which feed and inspire others to
greater spiritual heights, in the area of faith and personal
healing, I am rather weak; I am no spiritual giant. Perhaps
this revelation may come as a surprise to some of you who
have known me for a while; after all, I have known the Lord
for many years; during which time I have studied, memorized
and quoted His Word extensively. Based upon what the Apostle
Paul wrote, I should be absolutely full of faith:

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God." (Romans 10:17)

Despite these things, and even though a number of my dear
Christian friends have earnestly prayed for my health, I am
none the better for it; at least not in any way that I can
tell. Perhaps I'd be a lot worse off if they weren't praying
for me! I am sure the problem is not on their end. Surely
the Lord will honor their fervent prayers; after all, they
are not asking for something selfishly; but rather they are
obeying the Scriptures, and petitioning for another brother
in the Lord. As the Apostle James wrote:

"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the
church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
(James 5:14-15)

So why aren't my friends' prayers being answered in regards
to my health? One thing you need to realize is that prayer,
faith and healing is a two-way operation. No matter how much
faith may be possessed by the persons making the request,
the person being prayed for must also possess the faith to
receive the blessing. For example, we know that Jesus was
not given the Spirit by measure. He was given the Power by
His Father to do many great miracles; yet notice that we
find verses like the following in the New Testament:

"Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith
be it unto you." (Matthew 9:29)

"And he did not many mighty works there because of their
unbelief." (Matthew 13:58)

So you see, we can limit God by our own degree of faith. As
far as my own personal healing is concerned, I don't think
that it is that I doubt God's Word. I believe His Word, and
I know that He can heal me if He so chooses; however, I have
come to accept that the Lord simply does not wish to heal me
of my light afflictions. In other words, might it be that my
friends' prayers have not been answered because they are not
in accordance to His perfect Will for my life? Might it be
possible that, like the Apostle Paul, it simply isn't the
Lord's Will that I be healed? While this may strike you at
first as being rather odd, consider the following. We have
already seen that Paul suffered some kind of affliction in
the flesh; yet at the same time, we find verses like the
following in the Book of Acts:

"And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So
that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs
or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil
spirits went out of them." (Acts 19:11-12)

"And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid
them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and
fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the
venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves,
No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath
escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he
shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit
they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead
suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw
no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that
he was a god. In the same quarters were possessions of the
chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who
received us, and lodged us three days courteously. And it
came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever
and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed,
and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was
done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came,
and were healed:" (Acts 28:3-9)

What an absolute paradox! Here we have a man who remained
unaffected by the poisonous bite of a viper, who had such a
powerful anointing upon him, that even just touching his
clothing resulted in people being healed, and yet he still
possessed this personal affliction in his flesh of which he
could not be rid. I am reminded of the following verse which
was actually an accusation thrown at Jesus by His bitter
enemies as He hung on the Cross:

"Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among
themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he
cannot save." (Mark 15:31)

In a way, could it be that some of us are called to a
similar type of ministry? In other words, while we are able
to help save, feed, encourage and even heal others through
the particular work the Lord has given each of us to do,
insofar as our personal wellbeing is concerned, like Paul,
the Lord prefers to keep us in a state of personal weakness,
in order that we might remain humble and totally dependent
upon Him; and so that, as Paul stated, 'no flesh should
glory in his presence'. As much as Paul talked about this
topic, I can only wonder if perhaps the real affliction to
which he may have been referring, was his own pride, and not
just a physical sickness or limitation of some kind. As a
former Pharisee, Paul undoubtedly had to fight against his
pride every single day of his life. He had to constantly
make sure that he was indeed giving God all of the glory.
Consider some of the other things he said along this same
line:

"That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:31)

"Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are
yours;" (1 Corinthians 3:21)

"And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred
to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn
in us not to think of men above that which is written, that
no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who
maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that
thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why
dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?"
(1 Corinthians 4:6-7)

"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of:
for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I
preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16)

"But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he
that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord
commendeth...Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
(1 Corinthians 10:17-18, 31)

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."
(2 Corinthians 4:5)

"But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
(2 Corinthians 10:17)

"Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not
glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to
glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but
now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that
which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me."
(2 Corinthians 12:5-6)

"Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one
another, envying one another." (Galatians 5:26)

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto
me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6:14)

"Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of
others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles
of Christ." (1 Thessalonians 2:6)

Why did Paul write about this topic so much? Could it be
because he recognized that pride was one of his biggest
weaknesses in the flesh; and that pride always wants to give
glory to self, instead of to God, to whom it is rightfully
due? Considering how much the Lord used Paul, this must have
been a constant thorn in the flesh for him. Satan must have
always been after Paul to accept just a little bit of the
credit; but as Paul himself wrote:

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not
ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11)

I believe that this is why Paul gloried in his infirmities.
He accepted his personal afflictions as the Lord's way of
keeping him on track; he knew that he needed them. In all
honesty, I also tend to believe that my lack of faith for
personal healing may be by God's design. It is His way of
constantly reminding me of how weak and little I really am.
It is His way of helping me to keep my pride under control,
lest I too should become lifted up, and want to take some of
the credit for everything that the Lord has accomplished
through this small ministry of ours. Thus, I can see the
Lord's Wisdom in my physical sufferings, and I agree with
Him when He says:

"...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a)

One thing is for certain; whether He chooses to heal me or
not in this life, by His grace, I will continue to serve Him
faithfully until that great day in which He calls me Home.
My faith is not a bargain faith. I won't say, 'Lord, I'll do
this for you, if you'll do this for me'. That is what we
might refer to as conditional faith; it is not real faith.
Real faith obeys no matter what. As Paul also wrote:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen...But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:1, 6)

What about you? Can you see God's Hand in your physical
afflictions? Can you see that you probably need them? Are
you willing to obey Him even if He never heals you in this
life? Or is yours just a weak conditional faith, and a
conditional obedience? The choice is really up to you. Just
remember, little is much if God is in it. If you do what you
can for Him, in spite of your physical limitations, He will
bless you for it, and He will give you more. In fact, as
Paul writes above, He will reward us if we seek Him with all
diligence, and maintain our faith until the very end, in
spite of our fleshly afflictions; for as Paul also wrote:

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory;" (2 Corinthians 4:17)

With these thoughts, I am going to bring another article to
a close. If you are interested in obtaining an expanded
understanding regarding our personal trials and afflictions,
I also encourage you to read 'Are Personal Tragedies Due To
Sin?'. I pray that this current article has been a blessing
and an inspiration in your life.