Strength through adversity

When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold (Job 23:10).

Shakespeare once said, “In sickness, let me not so much say, 'Am I getting better of my pain?' as, 'Am I getting better for it?'”

Testing is never fun. No student enjoys taking finales. No pilot enjoys having his skills put to the test by passing through severe weather. But testing is necessary for improvement. Rope is not sold until it has been put through a stress test to increase its strength. An athlete will never reach his full potential unless his skills are put to the test in genuine competition.

There is a saying that goes, “That which does not kill me shall only serve to make me stronger”. Have you ever thought of disease as serving this purpose? It is a fact that after you suffer through infection by a virus, you are generally immune to getting it again. Going through sickness makes your body stronger. The same can also apply to your soul. Job went through terrible sickness—his entire body was afflicted by painful sores. But although his wife advised him to curse God for allowing this to befall him, Job said: when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. Job knew that gold can never achieve the full potential of its beauty until it has been purified through a refiner’s fire. Neither can a Christian’s faith reach it's full potential without going through periodic testing.

It is easy for us to ignore God when we are feeling good. But when we are sick, especially when doctors can do little to ease our suffering, that is the time when it becomes easier for God to catch and hold our attention. It is when our bodies betray us with pain and weakness that we are forcibly reminded that only God can give us relief from suffering, strength to endure, and hope for the future. It is when we have endured a period of sickness that we recognize God’s hand supporting us, and give Him thanks for staying constantly at our side during the long, bleak hours of the night. Going through sickness is unpleasant, but like any other form of testing, it can bring the result of our faith in the Lord being strengthened. please join me in praying:

Dearest Jesus, our Great Physician, we give You thanks that Your love is so powerful that it can bring blessings even out of hardship. We thank You for bringing us through illness and injury so that we can praise You for Your goodness this day. We ask You to look in kindness on every person reading this devotion who is suffering from an ailment of the body. Cause them to look to You for mercy; move them to place their trust in You. Grant them strength to face the hours that lie ahead with hope in Your benevolence, and forgive us for ignoring You when our healthy bodies tempt us to go other places than to Your house of worship. Amen.