Tag: Miracle

Do Not Limit God

Good Morning! I hope you take the time to read and reflect on these words today. I wrote this back in 2010. It does not appear I ever posted it. “Lost Writings from OC.”

Today’s a new day! Welcome to a new week. I pray that everyone had a wonderful and memorable weekend. My challenge for you this week is to Not Limit God!

I must admit there have been times in my spiritual journey that I have limited God.  Yes, me. I did not always do this intentionally, but subconsciously I would begin stuffing God into a little box. I was putting limits on Him and not even realizing that I was doing so.

I would go to God with a prayer request and step out on faith that He would see it through.  Now when things in the natural didn’t work out according to my plan, I would assume they were not going to work out and move on. But how many people actually realize that God is more than capable of doing exceedingly and wonderful things in every area of our lives? He can do more than we could ever imagine, hope for or ask for… in God’s timing. Not our timing. Did you catch that?

Another way we limit God is by thinking that in order for a blessing to manifest that He has to operate the way we think things should be done.  We sometimes forget that our thinking is limited, but God’s is not.  We forget how powerful He really is.  The scripture says, He is ALMIGHTY GOD.  There are no limits on what God can and will do in our lives. 

How many of us are guilty of limiting God? Well do not beat yourself up, God is not finished with you yet. We need to remind ourselves daily of who God is. When we spend time studying God’s word, we can be confident that God is able to do all things.  But we must acknowledge that we do not have everything under control, but that God is always in control. We must stop limiting God to what we can see in the natural and trust that He can move mountains in the supernatural.  Today, let’s live out our faith and know that God is able to blow our minds.

As you face challenges this week, I encourage you to not limit God.  I know the medical scan shows one thing, but I double dog dare you to not limit God.  I know it looks like your money is gone before the month has ended, but I triple dog dare you to stop limiting God. When we take God out of that box we stuffed Him in, He will expand our faith and take us to new and beautiful heights.

So this week, stop limiting God and watch Him do new and exciting things in your life. Have a great week! ~OC

0

Hope Over Division

Good Morning! The following is something I have been working on the last few days. Yes, it’s long, but I hope you will take the time to read it.

Today’s a new day! The last few days, I have had some friends decide their political beliefs were more important than the Gospel and our friendship. But sadly, this is nothing new.

Over the last few years, I have found it sad that some Christians just do not understand how someone who disagrees with their political beliefs could possibly be a Christian. So much division over something so trivial as politics.

But division among Christians is not new, and is not a surprise to God.

Conflict among God’s people is not isolated to one culture or even one generation. Conflict is inevitable. Opinions will differ. But if we are rooted in the gospel, we should be united in purpose.

As I have surveyed the landscape of America, I have found people from different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities, political persuasions, and church denominations pursuing Christ with passion and commitment. I have found people finding unity in Christ, not political parties or politicians.

I have also been blessed to see Christians discover the gift of unity, even in disagreements. Sadly, I have also experienced some Christians allowing differences to end friendships. It is a choice we have to make daily.

I believe when Christians are truly united in the Gospel, we will be united in purpose.

In my journey, I have found that people do not always realize that we can have the same faith and have very different life experiences. In today’s heated culture, we may wonder if Christians can disagree and still remain united. For generations, across all nations and cultures, Christians have asked the same question. Is it truly possible to approach complex issues without losing our love for one another? I believes the answer is yes. It might not be easy, but if we truly put God’s love first I believe we can experience God’s unifying power to overcome our differences.

I also believe these three lessons can help.

Do not confuse differences with division:

In Revelation 7:9, we read inspiring verses about a great multitude gathered in worship before Jesus: 

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” 

In John’s vision, “every nation, tribe, people and language” praised the living God together. 

This beautiful picture gives us hope for eternity, but Christ-centered unity can feel distant today. When we struggle, I encourages everyone to not let our God-given differences evolve into manmade division. 

When we seek after God to help us guard against division, we can trust that He will work through our differences in His timing and in His way.

I do not look at nations, tribes, and tongues as something to divide us. Those are just characteristics, like someone being tall or short. We have made them into divisions, but God is the one who created those distinctions. It may be visible that people are different, but Revelation tells us we are not divided in the eyes of Christ. I truly believe God works uniquely within the Church through every time and culture. When division threatens God’s people today and leads to disagreement, we can pray for one another. Through individual prayer for others, even those we disagree with, God can soften our hearts and give us renewed patience.

Focus on what draws us together:

Through Revelation 7:10, we are challenged to focus on the One who draws us together:  

“And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

It is no surprise that the Bible talks about the diversity of the people while they stand before Jesus claiming Him as the one true God. There is a unity in what they are claiming. They are in agreement that all blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, and honor belong to Him. They are 100 percent focused on Jesus.

I believe this picture is a reminder that the One who unites His people is stronger than anything that drives us apart. When we seek God through His Word, He gives us a complete picture of His character. Through His Word we find wisdom, courage, and hope.

This picture of God’s people worshipping in unison should be a reminder to all of us to stay in a posture of humility. In today’s society, we are often encouraged to assume the worst about those who disagree with us. But there is room at the table for differences of opinion when Christ is our focus. We do not have to carry the burden of argument or debate. Instead, when we keep our eyes on Him and not others, we can pray, discuss, and enjoy being together.

When we look to Christ, we discover that Jesus gives us the wisdom and strength to navigate our differences without division.  

Put our faith in God’s promises, not people:

In Revelation 7:9-10, God reveals that He is worthy of our worship. The chapter closes with a beautiful picture of what we will experience in eternity under Christ’s authority: 

“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water,’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:17). 

In today’s culture, we are tempted to place our faith in people, denominations, political parties or human solutions. But leaders come and go, and even Christians can disappoint us. Revelation 7:17 reminds us that the Lamb who chose to die for His people is the same Lamb who rules for eternity. Jesus, who stands worthy of our worship, bends low to wipe away our tears.  

That is a promise. Even though we do not know what’s going to happen, we can trust that God is enough. We are reminded in Revelation that when we struggle through disappointment on earth, we can trust God’s promises for the future. With that in mind, we can meet our brothers and sisters in Christ with grace as we trust the Lord to reveal truth in His time.

What God has revealed for the future is enough to give us hope for today.

I pray you will spend some time reflecting on these words today. Walk and live in peace and harmony with everyone. Even those you disagree with. ~OC

0

My Life With Parkinson’s

Good Morning! I wanted to share a bit of my Parkinson’s experience with you today. I was diagnosed with PD in 2007. The disease is starting to take its toll on me, but I continue to live with an attitude of hope. I originally wrote this in 2019 and updated it the first of 2025.

Today’s a new day! Living with Parkinson’s takes hope, persistence and a strong will to live. Because Parkinson’s never takes a day off. Parkinson’s is a daily battle. In the presence of Parkinson’s, one must have courage, the strength of character, and for me a strong faith.

While there’s life, there’s hope. Each morning when I wake, I do a full-body inventory, thinking ‘Okay body, what awaits us today?’ I remain hopeful that my just-completed sleep has re-fueled my brain and re-stocked my body. Of course that’s on the nights I actually sleep. Cloaked around every fiber of my body is my unwelcome guest named Parkinson’s; however, the day has started anew, and there is much to accomplish. I use hope as an anchor to secure my body and mind against the slowly rising tide from Parkinson’s. There is still time while staying hopeful.

Living with a positive attitude makes a big difference. Before I get out of my recliner, it can be easy to feel sorry for myself. I have Parkinson’s, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. And that’s the negative mindset Parkinson’s has provided but I try to never allow myself to stay there for very long. There are days that are going to be difficult; yet staying positive and focusing on the plans God has for my life is where I choose to place my focus. I choose to look at my life with a positive attitude. That is completely opposite of how this disease wants me to feel and live.

I have found living this journey and sharing my story has been a privilege of a lifetime. I start each day with a prayer to focus on what plans God would have for me on that particular day. I choose to stay engaged with the everyday activities of life. Things are starting to get much tougher these days, but I make the choice every day to embrace life to its fullest. I remind myself there is much left to accomplish in my life even in the presence of Parkinson’s. I will close with a prayer I lift up to God every morning:

Dear God, thank you for another day. Simply use me today. This is going to be a good day. I remain hopeful not hopeless, positive not negative, happy not sad, and driven not complacent. Thank you for Your strength, wisdom and courage as I walk through this day. Amen. ~OC

0

Peace and Contentment

Good Morning! Life can be full of chaos, but we can still find peace. I hope this “Another Lost Writing from OC” gives you something to think about. This post was written in 2020.

Today’s a new day! The world can often feel chaotic and uncertain. How do you know how to respond to what the world throws at you? Recently, I took a look at Paul’s letter to the Philippians found in the New Testament. This is a letter that Paul wrote while he was in prison. He was living through turbulent times and how he encouraged believers back then directly applies to us still today. In particular, what he wrote in Philippians 4 offers us a beacon of hope today.  

So how can you find peace in these turbulent times? Here are ways Paul encourages us in chapter 4. 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” – Philippians 4:4

It is easy to rejoice when things are going well, but how about those tough and turbulent times? Paul calls us to rejoice then, too. He invites us to find joy in our relationship with God, regardless of our situation. It is a choice, a practice, and a powerful testimony to the world around us when we can rejoice in God always.

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety often stems from feeling out of control with all that is going on around you. When we feel anxious, Paul provides a practical solution: bring everything to God in prayer, coupled with thanksgiving. This practice shifts our focus from our problems to the Problem Solver. The result of this rejoicing, gentleness, and prayer is a peace that defies all human logic. This peace serves as a reminder that God is protecting us from the onslaught of worry and fear when we trust and rely on Him.

“I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.” – Philippians 4:11

Paul’s secret to contentment wasn’t found in his circumstances. He was content always because he knew that no matter what situation he was facing, he could rely on God’s strength rather than his own resources.

In conclusion, life can be complex and we live in turbulent times. However, may we take these lessons from Philippians 4 to heart. Let’s choose joy, practice gentleness, pray instead of worry, and find our strength in Christ. In doing so, we may discover a peace and contentment that truly passes all understanding. ~OC

0

A New Day. A New Year. A New Perspective.

Today’s a new day! As we walk into a new week and are still navigating a new year, I want to share the following thoughts with you. Peace and blessings to each of you. ~OC

“Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” -Acts 2:38

Today the Holy Spirit is calling you. He is saying, “I am here my child. I am the Resurrection and the Life. I want to appear Myself to you today in a way you never have encountered me before. I want there to be a collision between Heaven and your world.”

Maybe you are disappointed with church, with pastors, the world or even with God. Maybe you have prayed and nothing changed. Maybe you used to be in love with God but things happened and now you are disappointed, discouraged, and angry. Maybe you had a bad church experience or were hurt by a person who misrepresented God’s heart to you. Forgive them.  The Holy Spirit is calling you today. Return to the Lord with all your heart. He longs for there to be a collision where everything in your life crashes with God’s Kingdom and you are forever changed. You will never be the same. I encourage you to pray this dangerous prayer today and mean it if you want all of God: 

“Holy Spirit, today I surrender my life totally to Jesus Christ. I am done running and living life for myself. I make a fresh decision to follow hard after You. I give you all of my life. I receive forgiveness for my sins and I release forgiveness to those who have hurt me and betrayed me. Heal my heart. Today, show me Your truth. Break every stronghold and addiction. Flood my life with your power and presence so that I will never ever be the same. Fill me with a fresh touch from You. I want to draw nearer to you with all I am. In Jesus name Amen”

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit “-Titus 3:15

0

Believe Me…The Suffering Is Worth It

Today’s a new day! I’ve grown comfortable in my wilderness moments. The ups and downs of this crazy beautiful health journey is a place I no longer fear. I know how to operate here. I know how to encourage others that are walking through their own suffering . Because when you walk through enormous trials and God continues to show up in huge ways, you become changed by it. When you stand by people in places that conjure up feelings of death and God’s love swarms around you like it has in no other moment, you start to see even the worst pain differently. You start to see the beauty. The beauty that can be present even in suffering. That amazing message that I will never stop proclaiming because I believe in it with every fiber of my being. That God is present with us in the pain and the suffering of this world. And that He can use everything–absolutely everything–for our good and His glory. Even when it isn’t good in those moments of despair. Even when it feels like a million shades of awful. But remember, this wilderness place is never where our story end.

It’s a question that I have gotten a lot over the years, but I wonder if people actually really want the answer. The question is How could God allow me to walk through so much suffering? This is how I choose to answer that important question. Having a relationship with God and following Him for many years, I see more of His character each day I walk through this pain and suffering. I have experienced God’s outrageous love that has come through for me over and over and over again, in this long and winding road of suffering. I truly believe His ways and His timing are best for me. Let me ask you a few questions. Do you truly want an intimate relationship with God even if it means that enduring pain and suffering is part of the process? If it strips you of pride and idols and all the baggage that just continually brings us down? During my long health journey, I have learned that most people see the world through narrow eyes. They only see the temporal things. They see just what is in front of their face at any given time. And often what is staring back at them is so overwhelming–how could they possibly see anything else? But we have to look at the full picture standing in front of us. We have to think about how our stories ultimately ends.

Our God who gives us the choice of whether or not to love Him–because could we truly love Him if He didn’t give us that option? God is too big to accept that kind of response. He wants us. All of us. God wants us to love Him for who He is because He already loves us for all of who we are. And with the option to love Him also comes the option not to love Him. To go our own way and forge our own identity. We all have a will to choose, and we all at different points choose the wrong thing. And the world is broken and full of pain and how do we even begin to reconcile it all? How do we reconcile that God is still good? He promises to be our God. Our deliverer. Our Savior. Our refuge. Our strength. God promises that we are held safely in His everlasting arms. So why doesn’t He move those enormous mountains in our paths? Why does God sometimes make us take the slow and grueling climb to the top? The climb that eventually leads us up to the steepest peak where we can look below and see the landscape that was always there, but was just always over the next rise. The view that allows us to take it all in–the whole journey. To see both where we have come from and where we are going. The reality is, God doesn’t remove every single mountain in our path. He wants us to climb them. He wants us to put one foot in front of the other and feel our muscles trembling with every single step. We feel like we are drowning in our struggles and our sorrows and we cry out to Him for rescue, and the waves just get stronger. We forget that He already parted the seas for us. That our lives are not measured from one circumstance to another, but from His Son making the way for us and the forever that still awaits us. That there is another side to the mountain that we are climbing and the narrow road we walk is so much shorter than we could possibly believe. Every single step up the steep road strengthens our bodies and minds to continue the walk home. It can be hard, and it can be painful, and at times we fall over and feel like we could not possibly take another step. But it’s still the amazing road home. Will we make the choice to choose it anyway? Are you going to choose a road that is full of pain and sorrow and hurt? Because God shares throughout scripture, that suffering is part of the path. That suffering will always be a companion on our journey. That in this life we will be hated and slandered for God’s name and that by signing up to walk His way, we are signing up for some struggles and heartbreak. But would He ask this of us if it wasn’t worth it? Evil is running rampant throughout this world. This world can be full of so much pain and sorrow, and it is far too much to bear on our own. There are people all over the world struggling with more than we could possibly imagine, and why does God allow it? But would we know His goodness if He didn’t? Because there is a difference between allowing something to happen and condoning it. Approving of it. And if you spend anytime in God’s word, you will know that He so wholly and completely disapproves. He doesn’t like it anymore than us when we are faced with a huge mountain to climb in our journey –but He will use it. God will redeem it. He will show up and walk the road with us. Because God is good, and He wants the best for us. He can see more than we can and sometimes that means the hard road. Sometimes the hard road is the only road.

Evil is very real, but if we just focus on that part of life, we are missing the whole point. Because evil and wickedness don’t just offend God, they stand in complete opposition to God. He opposes it in every way–His perfect righteousness cannot stand for it. And He will get the final say over it. Ultimately, God will show just how much He does not approve of it. And the fact that God delays to set this world right is actually a mercy–it gives more time for people to come to Him. To choose Him. To take hold of the freedom that He gave us in the garden that we took and totally screwed up. Because as hard as it gets and as ugly and painful as the world may seem, God would not allow anything into our lives unless He knew that one day it would be worth it. That it is worth it when God leaves us in our tragedies. Because when He wages war on all that is evil, the fruit and beauty of our pain will be more than we could possibly imagine. The tears will turn into complete celebration because we will see–we will see what it was all for. Every sacrifice, every sleepless night, every painful moment and the utter senselessness of tragedy. Those very things will become our joy. We have to remember the full story. We have to remember that where we stand right now in this moment is not where our stories end. That our journey began in a garden full of promise and that the freedom that God gave us to love Him and choose Him, we took and turned it on its head and still He comes after us and promises to set it all right. God constantly gives us way more than we can handle, but He can. There is no situation or struggle that we walk into that catches Him by surprise. Including suffering. Including the worst of the worst. Including the darkest and loneliest nights. God is there. He never leaves us. God has already won. And the moments of our journey that we spend in the deep, shape us and allow us to become more like Him in the process. Because God would not lead us straight into the fire without knowing that it was worth it in the long run. And that is the beauty of it all. That as we step further into the darkness of pain and sorrow and still trust God in it, eventually He turns it all to light. The trials that turn into a testimony and a journey that becomes more than us being stuck in an impossible situation, but becomes about our Sovereign God and His strength and power that overcomes it. The deep that we despise becomes light for others walking their own path. The storms we walk into blaming God for and walk out of praising His name.

Remember, God has already won the war and is coming back to finish the final battle and get the final say over all the injustice and ugliness of this world. I, for one, would not have this deep relationship with God without the pain and suffering. Without walking through struggles. The darkest moments of my health journey have led me directly into His embrace. The storms that God allows even in all their heartache because He sees what we cannot see yet and knows that one day even we will find worth and meaning in those darkest moments. So the question becomes are we going to stand with God or against Him? Seeing the world as it is today and knowing what we know, are we going to choose God anyway? Even when all the pain and suffering doesn’t feel worth it, are we still going to trust that it is? Will we run straight into the deepest sea if it is the only way to get to God? Because over the steep rise of that mountain peak, there is beauty beyond measure. And just because we cannot see it yet does not mean that it is not there. Just like how the stars still shine in all their brilliance in the light of day, but only in the night sky can we take them all in. It is there. All the beauty and wonder and joy of our struggles. It’s at the end of this short and sometimes rocky road in the forever beyond. Believe me, it will be worth it. ~OC

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~Isaiah 41:10

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” ~Psalm 46:1

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ~Hebrews 13:5

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” ~Romans 8:28

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” ~Psalm 23:4

0

Significant Life

Today’s a new day! What is a “significant life?” That is a question many will be asking as we move into a new year. I believe a significant life can be measured by having great worth and value–forged by carefully chosen crossroads leading to the sum of a life well lived. It is a life whose moments are not wasted on the material or ordinary, but excavates the ordinary as sacred because God is there.

I am eternally grateful for meeting God at a early age; that He pulled me close and began to open my eyes to eternal matters–but I regret the times I’ve wandered through the “ordinary” days grumbling and complaining as I waded through the difficult days, and frivolously moved carefree through seasons which could have been spent with more purpose.

As five decades of life are closely coming to a close, the brevity of life as described in Psalm 90 bears heavy on my heart and one thing I know: All that matters is living for Christ.

I do not want to waste another single day of my life. I desire to truly live my life for God until I breathe my last breath. I desire to live all out for His glory–whatever that may look like in this journey called life.

As a young man, I am not sure I took seriously the warnings of the wise men of God, “Don’t miss out on God’s will for your life!” I wasn’t exactly sure what His will was for me, and I am sure at times I missed it. Now that I’m older, His will seems more clear, single-focused, and less complicated. I can sum it up in three words: Simply Glorify Him.

The driving passion of my life is expressed by God in Numbers 14:21:

Indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.


But what does that look like? For me, I believe Jesus gives us the answer in John 15:8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”


As I write this post, emotions are swirling all around me. Tears, Missed Opportunities and Regret to name a few. But one emotion burst through like a ray of sunshine… Hope. That deep down hope that feels me with peace and promises for a great and exciting life. A hope that sustains me through the toughest storms

I want to challenge you to stop what you are doing right now and consider these questions:

Is my life significant?

Am I wasting my God given gifts and talents?

Am I bearing fruit?

What is the driving passion in my life?

How can I best use my remaining days to live out the purpose God has created for me in the remaining time I have on earth to bring Him glory?

I believe the answer to those six questions can lead us to living a significant life. ~OC

0

Happy New Year!

Today’s a new day! Happy New Year! Welcome to 2025. Not sure about you, but I look forward with great excitement, wondering what God has planned for me this coming new year. What new opportunities will reveal themselves? What new lessons will present themselves? A new year is full of endless possibilities.

As we gear up for a new year, I believe it’s important to take a little time to reflect on the past year. Doing this I believe helps to view each year as a season, understanding that God is Sovereign and has new seasons of experiences and growth to make us more like Him. I can testify 2024 was full of many different emotions. There were moments of grief, but there were also times of joy and happiness. A year filled with many memories and lessons.

As we take some time to reflect back on 2024, it helps us to remember that God is in total control and that we are constantly growing as His children and that He knows the plans He has for each of us. Plans of new wisdom, insight and understanding that He wants to impart to us, if we will allow Him to.

It also gives us an exciting and fresh new outlook of the coming year and enables us to leave the past where it belongs. Not that we forget the past but learn from it and move forward into our present future with open hearts and minds to receive whatever God has for us.

With that said, here are some ways we can look forward to in 2025.

New Beginnings: Start out 2025 with a fresh point of view of new experiences, opportunities, memories and blessings. Have an open mind and heart to where ever God may want to take you with full assurance and confidence that He is always with you. (Matthew 28:19-20)

New Possibilities: There are no limit to what God can do in your life and nothing is impossible with God. God opens doors that no one can shut and also closes doors that no one can open. The possibilities are endless with God. (Philippians 4:13)

New Plans: We walk into 2025 like a blank canvas. Be in prayer for what God has planned for you and be willing to walk by faith in obedience as you follow His leading. Remember that His plans are always for good and not for evil to give you a future and a Hope. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

New Purpose: As you look ahead, God always has a plan and a purpose for what you will go through and experience. Remember that God always has a reason for what He allows in your life and through it you can trust Him completely. (Proverbs 1:3-5)

New Provisions: The Bible says to not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow has enough worries of its own. In 2025, trust in God who knows everything you need. He is our Hope and our Provider. God is faithful and He will do it. (Matthew 6:1-33)

New Growth: When we are willing to let go and let God work in and through us, He will always stretch us and grow us. It is an important part of the growth process. I pray we will all continue to grow in our relationship with God and in His Word. In 2025, allow God to mold you and make you pliable in the potters hand and then watch the master craftsman work in your life in amazing ways.

New Wisdom: With new experiences and new lessons comes new wisdom and insight. Always make it a priority to seek out wisdom as hidden treasure or fine gold. In Proverbs it says that it will be like a garland of grace around your neck and honor you and present you with a crown of splendor. (Proverbs 4:7-9)

Renewed Peace: As you go through new experiences and new adventures whether they are good or bad, my encouragement is to keep your eyes fixed on God and He will give you rest and peace, because He is our peace and loves us and cares for each of us deeply. (John 16:33)

As we spend some time in reflection about 2024, let us give thanks to God for getting us through another year as we look forward to what He has for us in 2025 and praise Him that He is faithful and worthy to be praised. ~OC

0

What If…

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:19-20

Today’s a new day! I don’t understand my iPhone. I don’t understand how hundreds of thousands of pieces of information can be embedded in a tiny chip you can barely see. Or, how, at the touch of a finger, push of a button, or verbal command the entire world can be opened before your eyes. I do not know how, I may not understand, but I do know when I learn how to use my phone to its fullest I can do amazing things that almost make me look creative, even smart.

Likewise, there are so many things I don’t understand about my God, this beautiful, amazing, wonderful Triune God I serve and love. And just when I think I know Him and what He will do He surprises me. The Bible says His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are deeper than ours. I don’t understand how He can know every person on this earth by name, or how He knows the number of hairs on my head. In my case, that’s not a hard one.

I don’t understand how He can create life out of an egg or even nothing at all! I don’t understand how He can touch a body and heal it of cancer, make the paralyzed walk, the blind see, the deaf hear; but He can! All these things God can do, and so much more! I don’t have to understand how, but just trust that He can!

What if today’s verse became our mantra for today and every day? What if, every time we were tempted to worry, or become anxious, or bite our nails, we recalled this important promise? What if we looked at all the things we or a loved one is facing presently and remembered these words? Instead of thinking all is lost or how impossible something is, said to ourselves; …but God can do abundantly more… Prayed to God; Dear God we need you to do exceedingly, abundantly more in this situation than we could dare think, ask, or imagine! What if? ~OC

1

Don’t Fall For The Lies

Today’s a new day! As a chronically ill Christian, the enemy often tries to sell me the following lie: “My illness and God’s goodness cannot coexist.”

Over the past twenty-two years, multiple life threatening health disease have been my “thorn.”  My body has been attacked on many fronts. Many times early on in my health battle, I remember trying to reconcile my suffering with God’s purpose.

As I pondered my place in God’s eyes, questions of doubt polluted my mind:

What did I do to deserve this illness?

If God actually loves me, why doesn’t he heal me?

How could a broken body fit into God’s plans?

By worldly standards, my value depended on what I could do, instead of what God already did.  For someone who has lived in and out of the hospital for the last two decades, a meaningful life might seem to be an unattainable dream.

Unrooted in God’s word, the presence of my health issues seemed to indicate an absence of His affection.

But friend, this thinking is simply unbiblical.  Let’s dispel this lie by replacing it with God’s truth and equip ourselves with biblical instruction for endurance.

Maybe you don’t struggle with a chronic illness, but we all struggle with chronic issues. Whether you’re dealing with multiple health issues, the scars of life that still plague your mind or the same addiction continues creeping into your life, God tells us that no trial can separate us from His Love. ~Romans 8:35

In fact, our trials might be the very tool God uses to strengthen our relationship with Him.  So, as we think about chronic illness, let’s redirect our thoughts from asking “what could I have done differently to prevent my health issues”, to instead asking, “God, how can you work through my current health issues?”

Two words come to mind when I consider how God can work through our challenges to refine our faith: Reliance and Glory.

1. RELIANCE – God can use our current life challenges to encourage us to rely more fully on Him.

For those struggling to understand why God allows hardship to ensue, the book of Job is a masterpiece written just for us. The Bible describes Job as a faithful man with many blessings.  To test whether Job will still praise God’s name even when his life crumbles, God allows the enemy to wreak havoc on Job’s life – striking his flesh and bones with sickness, infecting him with skin boils, and turning his family away (Job 1:4-9).  Job is not only chronically ill, but also chronically lonely, as his loved ones tell him to just give up and curse His Creator.

Let’s pause right here.  God allows the enemy to test Job.  Now, why would God do this? Among many reasons, God uses suffering as a tool to refine Job’s faith. God knows that it is in the valleys that we are encouraged to truly rely on Him.

Amid adversity, Job’s mind is a battlefield much like our own; his thoughts go between wanting God to leave Him alone and begging for God’s support.  In the end, through his wrestle with God, Job remains faithful that God’s promises are true. He trusts that God loves him in his struggles and is working all things together for good.

As we learn in Job, sometimes God allows for challenges, not to punish us, but to strengthen our relationship with Him.When storms arise, may we trust that God’s plans are purposeful.  This means that whether we are battling a seasonal cold or fighting for our lives after tragedy strikes, God’s loving hand is in everything.

2. HIS GLORY – The contrast of our weakness with His Power emphasizes our need for God.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul describes pleading with the Lord to remove a “thorn in his flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7).  In my own life, my “thorn” represents my health battle.

Jesus addresses Paul’s request by equipping him with endurance and explaining that his struggle has a purpose.  Jesus answers, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My Power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).  In this story, Paul’s struggle serves as a reminder of his inherent inadequacy to our all-powerful God, ultimately pointing to his need for a Savior.

Though God denies Paul’s request for healing, He assures him that His grace will help him endure.  Paul is not blessed with healing, but instead, with a more valuable and versatile blessing: the ability to see God’s light in the darkness of his valley.  God doesn’t leave us to dwell in our struggles, He helps us endure.

God’s response gives hope to those whose prayers seemingly go unanswered.  Next time you ask God to remove your “thorn”, may you remember that a lack of an answer is not evidence of a distant God.  God always responds to our requests; His responses just might differ from what we planned.  No matter the response, if we trust God with our lives, we can be sure that He is working for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

As we learn from Paul’s interaction with God, some of our wounds will only heal once we go home to Heaven, but we can trust that our struggles are a part of a beautiful redemption story.

Let’s look at another example of how God can work through our pain to reveal His Power.  In John 9, Jesus is walking around town with His disciples when they spot a man who is blind from birth.  Jesus’ disciples ask him a question that might sound like one you’ve asked yourself before: “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2).  Sound familiar? The disciples mistakenly assume that this man’s disability is due to his personal sin.

Jesus corrects the disciples, responding, “neither this man nor his parents sinned…This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him” (John 9:3).  With this declaration, Jesus dispels the lie that the only purpose for our trials is punishment, and He communicates that our trials can be used to display God’s power.

Jesus then heals the blind man, confirming his belief and establishing an eternal relationship.

Before his healing, we can’t be sure of how this man’s disability affected his self-esteem, but he might have believed some of the same lies that often ravage our minds.  When measuring himself against societal standards, he very well could have attributed his disability to a distant God.  However, when Jesus enters the scene, it becomes clear that this man’s disability was the very tool God utilized to strengthen his relationship with Him. 

As we reflect on these stories, the Word illuminates God’s heart for the chronically ill: God has a purpose for our pain, His love does not waver, and He will work all things together for good, even the messy parts of our lives.

God does not promise to remove our thorns, but He does promise to help us endure.  Whatever your thorn looks like, may you remember that God provides a peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

Throughout my battle with multiple health issues, medical mysteries, and shattered plans, one verse has sparked hope in my soul: “We do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:12).

Friend, however deep your thorns dig, may you never give up. Keep overcoming and finish strong. ~OC

1

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑