Life's Inanities and Ironies

  Primary Scripture: Psalm 119:28; Matthew 4:4 “My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.” “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” When the body is weak, the spiritual disciplines are often the first casualties. Reading feels impossible. Prayer feels effortful. Church attendance becomes sporadic or ceases. Yet the soul’s need for the Word and for communion with God does not diminish simply because physical strength has. If anything, the need increases. The solution is not rigid adherence to former patterns that are no longer possible. The solution is faithful adaptation. If reading is difficult, listen to Scripture read aloud. If long prayer is exhausting, pray short prayers throughout the day. If formal Bible study is beyond present capacity, meditate on a single verse or short passage. Keep a simple record of God’s daily mercies so that the heart is tr...

  Primary Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Psalm 66:16 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” God never wastes the suffering of His people. The comfort He gives is not only for the immediate relief of the one who suffers; it is also for the future comfort of others who will walk the same path. Recovery and disability, rightly stewarded, become a platform for testimony. This testimony must be handled carefully. It is not an opportunity for self-drama or for collecting sympathy. It is a sober declaration of what God has done for the soul. The focus remains on His faithfulness, His sustaining grace, His presence in the valley, and the sufficiency of Christ. Details o...

  Primary Scripture: Hebrews 12:15; Ephesians 4:31-32 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Few experiences provide more fertile soil for bitterness than prolonged recovery or permanent disability. The loss of independence, the alteration of plans, the awkwardness of others, the perceived silence of God—all of these can nourish a root that eventually defiles many. Bitterness rarely stays contained. It spills into relationships, into prayer, and into the atmosphere of the home and church. Hebrews warns that this root springs up when a person fails of the grace of God—when he stops drawing on the grace that is available and begins to demand that circum...

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” “Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary… And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” Recovery and disability are not private matters. They are opportunities for the local church to demonstrate the reality of the body of Christ. When one member suffers, the whole body is affected. When the church fails to respond, the suffering member is left isolated, and the testimony of the gospel is weakened. Bearing burdens is practical. It includes meals prepared and delivered, transportation to medical appointments, help with household tasks that have become difficult, assistance with medical supplies or paperwork, and simple presence. It also includes spiritual care: reading Scripture, praying, listening without offering quick fixes, and gently guarding the recovering believer from unnecessary demands. The...