The Lord Is With Us In Illness

-August 14, 2023-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.”

(Psalm 41:3.)

After my wonderful vacation I got sick when I got home with a fever, a very bad sore throat, and chest congestion, and a cough with phlegm. I missed church yesterday. Last night I had to sleep in my chair, and I kept waking up all through the night, coughing up lots of phlegm. I am going to call my doctor for an appointment and possibly get some antibiotics. I would appreciate your prayers.

David recognized how God takes care of us when we are sick. The Lord promises to do two things for us: He will strengthen us and He will sustain us. This a two-fold promise from the Great Physician, our Lord Jesus Christ. He uses doctors and medicines to help us. In the NT, Jesus healed many who were sick.,

• He will strengthen us on our bed of illness – Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. She had a very high fever that was life threatening. He took her by the hand and restored her to full health. Mark 1:30-31 says, “But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.” The Lord knows when we are sick, how long it will last, and what the outcome will be.

• He will sustain us on our sickbed – Bed rest is is very important part in our recovery process. The word sustain can be translated restore. We can only self medicate only so far. We need medical help. The Lord uses doctors for our good. Luke was a physician who traveled with Paul. Sometimes we are sick on an airplane or other public place. There is the common expression, “Is the a doctor in the house?”

The Lord often uses sickness to get our attention, slow us down, and help us to rely more on Him. Paul healed the father of Publius, the leading citizen on Malta when Paul and those on the ship were shipwrecked. Acts 28:8 says, “And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul went into him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.”

May the Lord heal us whether doctors are present or not. Epaphroditus a servant of the Lord got sick and the Lord healed him. Philippians 2:26-27 says, “Since he was longing for you all, and distressed because he you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto to death. But God had mercy on him, but not only in him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.”

Have a blessed day whether you are sick and get well or be well and stay safe and healthy.

Trusting in the Great Physician,

Dean