I have a lot of neck pain due to falling off my bike when I was 8 on my face! So I get headaches from that a lot, possibly more then the average person. But I'm sure God has a reason. I plan to go to a "healing" service this Wednesday and get prayer for them, but who knows, God's will be done. :)
As Kenton at Mariners said in a sermon once about Shadracck, Meshack and Abendigo (however their names are spelled lol) He emphasized how they knew and said, God could save them in the fire, but "even if he doesn't, we will still praise him!" Amen!
Paul had what seemed to be a physical issue and he prayed for God to take it away but God did not. You would think if God would heal anyone it would be Paul right?
Sometimes God does not take away our pain, but leaves us in it, to mold us and to shape us.
Paul describes in 2 Cor. that he was given a vision of heaven. However, he then says.....
"In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Amazing passage! To delight in hardships, now that is maturity! I love Paul and how wise he was. :)
God says to him that his power is made perfect in weakness. Why? The reason is because as long as we are proud God cannot use us. It is when we become weak that we are strong, because when we become humble than we can become great!
Phil. 2 says....
"Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
Because Jesus died God exalted him. When we die to ourselves God will exalt us. As Jesus says, "the first shall be last and the last shall be first."
May God humble us all so that he can use us. :)
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