When God Heals Body and Soul, Part 3

Sometimes we link the words sickness and suffering together as one and the same, but the original language in the Bible describes an important nuance between these two words. Suffering is an emotional mail while sickness is a physical and today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll helps us delineate between the two. More importantly, he shows us how to seek God for relief. So are you suffering are you sick well James chapter 5 provides a proper protocol for getting help. Chuck titled today's message when God heals body and soul. God reserves the right to heal or not as he sees fit is his prerogative. Being a sovereign God of our lives. He is the one who has all voting rights on our help. If he is pleased to bring us back from illness. We come back from illness.

If he is pleased for us to die, we die. It is not his desire or his will that everyone be healed when we are suffering. Verse 13 begins the word is that old long Greek word that translates into English suffering. It's a broad word, it means some type of misfortune.

Stay with me normally is not used of a physical illness but his use of emotional or mental or spiritual struggles.

It is a reference to inner turmoil. Let's see what the Scriptures answer is, or if you suffering you should pray. End of sentence. The second when were cheerful, it gets even more simple doesn't it. This is one who is not anxious, not suffering some kind of hardship or trial or affliction going through some lengthy endurance of a trial.

This is a person who is who is on top of it. We say so what you do report is all that toll starts with a P starts with an and includes an SPS a LED Geo Palmetto. It means to play on the stringed instrument will obviously not everyone plays a stringed instrument so the phone is really in a broader sense, it's a picture of being filled with praises the kind of praise that comes over you when you hear magnificent music, the kind of joy that accompanies being around one who plays beautifully on an instrument or something within us that is exuberantly excited when we are cheerfully James says let it out. Let it out.

Even though the world is crying and in great need. You may be having a fabulous day. Let it out. B prints B's homes.

Let there be seen how the third category is much more complicated. That's why he spends longer developing it. Look for yourself or any of you sick sick 08 SDHC and owe us for an echo interesting word. It means to be weak without strength incapacitated could even include bedridden, it doesn't often refer to physical illness as much as a weariness, a fatigue that leads to such are other words that go deeper into physical illness. But this is a serious illness of some kind. What do you do if you're going to think biblically. Let's let the Bible give us instruction on what to do will make this just is clear as we can. First, the sick person takes the initiative notice. You should call for the elders of the church now we got a sickness and we call for the elders and what do they do well.

They have a responsibility and by the way, let me at this. There were not that many medical physicians available in the first century. Certainly among the persecuted believers who were the recipients of James letter elders often served in the role of spiritual leaders and if you will, medical practitioner, I pause as you picture that in your mind, not so much nowadays but in those days they would be like a practitioner that would help you with your sickness.

So, not surprisingly, they would come with that which would help you with your illness. Namely, oil. You see, call for the elders, they will pray over you, anointing you with oil literally it reads that the elders come and pray over you having anointed you are rubbed in the oil so the rubbing of the oil precedes the praying not to think biblically, which we want to do first Cubs good medical treatment reliable carefully thought through is you were able to get that help make sure that you have done that and now were going to pray and please observe that the results are left with the Lord. The elders there to pray and in this case to help provide the medication, the applying of the oils. The third foundational fact, sometimes there's a direct relationship between personal sins and sickness not always. Sometimes sometimes, so this James point if he says say there is then he's is the receipt see it. If you have committed any sins you will be forgiven and the application is illegal because the connection. In this case is simple list has been a part of the of the condition of your life of the sickness choices openly in verse 16. Confess your sins to each other praying for each other why you maybe you will, that we we we we resist this because this sort of our business. No were brothers and sisters in Christ.

And this doesn't show business were not on TV doing this. We're in a hospital room or were in the bedroom or were at the sofa in the living room were in a private setting in and there couldn't be greater sincerity and less showmanship and select the send out save it openly declaring something therapeutic about that.

If there has been sin. He will forgive you. So therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces a wonderful results is not a prayer to be told to Johnny Erickson because she has said and therefore she's in a wheelchair out of context appropriate in some ways it's insulting. If anyone asserts her hardest Johnny Erickson but when you look at it in context and you think biblically you realize this is got something to now the owners are not forcing its the confession comes from the person who is sick. Return you a quick true story years ago I was asked to join a small group of elders.

I knew most of them. Not all I knew. The one we were going to be praying for only slightly happened to be the wife of a physician, and the physician is one of the elders in our group another city. Another time, so don't try to trace it is not important importance is the story so we were asked to come to this dear woman who was really sick.

She was in a unit at the hospital, which is the ultimate chair unit I see you. We walked in we were granted a few minutes and she looked at us and could hardly believe her eyes. She was almost a gray in color but very sick.

She could hardly move her limbs.

Her husband's heart went out to her and we we made it clear we were there because we care, and she was getting good medical attention means you surround by the best and and she was dying slowly began to pray is a very touching time often to prayers like that are accompanied by tears, as you feel so helpless and you feel so caring and yet you are there in such sincerity and you want God to to move and to bring relief with your you're at a loss to know what his plan pray.

One man prayed and then another took up where he left off. I prayed and then by the time another began to praise Jesus stop stop stop right here.

Stop. We did, she said as she began to blink coming a little bit out of that sort of foggy look she said I I have something to tell outpoured a life of years of hidden sin.

Her husband knew none of it and he's standing there more shocked than anyone having shared her life over the years and and he reached over to embrace said no way she's in wait wait wait. I'm not true, and in the privacy of that room. She confessed her life moral failures hypocrisy and on and on, Cindy, and she became adept at it and continued it until the illness that has taken over somehow took over her body. Now that works. I don't know how that works but by God knows how it works is why he addresses it and it was listened to me.

It was as if the caller was coming back into her face. At the time she is unloading this burden that she's been living with. She confessed it openly to us. Some of us were virtual strangers. Very unusual setting our hearts went out to her and quite honestly went out to him. We step back. He stepped up she had finished and I think it was a dry eye in the room he's sobbing. She's sobbing. It is my understanding as we left the room and left them together.

Within hours she was released from that ICU unit to another room in the hospital. By that night.

She's by the next day I should say she's walking the halls of the hospital and with in less than a week.

She's home healthy week but recovering from her illness. God gave I understand full health to the sleepy is the closest I've ever come to an illustration of what we have and 13 through 16 are really 14 through 16 here, so let me wrap it up with four statements quickly. Confession of sin is healthy. Admit them openly choose a context indiscriminate sharing of sin openly in the place where it it isn't appropriate is it is out of line evidence that there was someone who had offended that's the one that needs to hear it. But the point is you don't hide it. Don't hold it back if it is healthy in your thinking biblically, then, believe it.

Admit the sin without hesitation.

Here's the second, praying for each other is essential practice and often praying for yourself.

As we see in verse 13 pray for me.

Pray regularly have it on your prayer when your head is the pillow at night have that prayer when you wake up in the morning consistent, fervent prayer accomplishes much third seeking medical attention and assistance is imperative obey it. I find it hard to pray for anyone who refuses medical attention if God has given specialty of people gifts in specialty areas and we don't avail ourselves of that we losing II got a staph infection not long ago.

It's a frightening thing to get it can lead quickly varies very serious illness and I'm so seldom sick and on such a terrible patient that my family is all hoping I would really recover soon and seriously now I III mean certain medications medications and that that illness would travel and I may not be sending your staph infection is no joke. But when I expect people to pray for me. They expect me to do what is medically responsible and weary of people who say we are people of faith. So we do not be people who are serving as his medical practitioners stop stop think about that before you jump to that conclusion forth when healing comes from God claim him claim it and give him praise how marvelous that is when it happens I'll repeat God reserves the right to heal or not as he sees fit. We leave it with him. We leave it with him. A return to the words of Johnny.

I certainly need strength right now. She writes at the end of the book I quoted earlier from an introduction of the book. She says ice. I certainly need strength right now. Last week I was diagnosed with breast cancer will my quadriplegic body be able to endure the one more salt. I have so many questions, but this I know for certain. My hope comes from God. He alone is my rock and my salvation.

He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. I am genuinely at peace with this new challenge I consider my life worth nothing to me. If only I may finish the race and complete the task. The Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace that I had. She's a model of it.

By the way, God has given her recovery from that were all rejoicing.

The last test proved very encouraging in the process of working through illness you change. Our daughter has a ministry at Insight for living: reframing God reframes your life. As a result of you're going through.

It's of great suffering, loss, or disability hardship tragedy in the process he may not take the tragedy away, but he changes you. He changes you a W toes or put it best is doubtful. God can use anyone greatly to he is hurt him deeply. So the answer is not always relief from it answers often. What do I learn through it. How can I cooperate with this plan to become the person.

This situation forces me to become deep question that with me. Would you please listen so carefully. I'm grateful. Just close your eyes right there. Are you absolutely certain that you know Christ you absolutely certain and you come to the cross with the scent of your life and you related before him, claiming his forgiveness and receiving his gift of eternal life, the greatest of all healing is the healing of an eternal soul through faith in the Savior are not certain of that. That's job one. That's the response you need to this message about help you to come to that place right now we need to help you get there. That's why we exist, and by the way, we will never judge you because you come a dark area of your life. That shameful and heartbreaking, tragic or valuable to God, just as you are.

Your soul is eternal Christ died. Trust that your father in advance for what you will do with this message in the days ahead.

Help us to think biblically, truly to think theologically, to cut through all the pizzazz of a lot of opinions and a lot of misinformation so they were not afraid to let the Scriptures speak and we stand squarely upon these verses. These and other we pray that you would use this message directly in a number of live for the glory of Christ in the name of the Savior. Everyone said amen. This concludes message number three in Chuck Swindoll's brand-new 12 part series called clinging to hope to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insightworld.org will Insight for living is pleased to offer Chuck's brand-new book with the same title as this series all 12 chapters describe volatile moments in life when our only choice is to cling to hope. For instance, there's a chapter on clinging to hope when heartbreak rocks our world a chapter on clinging to hope when doors slam shut and another one on clinging to hope when calamity crashes in this brand-new book from Chuck Swindoll belongs in your collection. It will be an encouragement to you and to someone you love. Who needs a boost of inspiration to again.

Chuck's brand-new book is called, clinging to hope to purchase a copy right now. Go to Insight.org/hope or call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888. You often hear us say it's not the sale of books and resources that fuels this ministry instead is the voluntary contributions from grateful friends like you. The propeller mission forward so thanks for remembering the critical importance of giving generously to Insight for living as you would imagine.

Our world is filled with people who are desperately searching for hope and we make it our mission to send these daily programs far and wide to the people have access to clear and convincing Bible teaching. In fact Insight for living is translated into paid additional languages besides English expanding our audience in parts of the world where Bible teaching is where to give a donation today. Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or you can give online@insight.org/donate by the way, did you know that insight for living has a mobile app if you missed any portion of Chuck's Windows messenger on the radio. You can always go back and listen to the recording through the mobile you find all the details insight.honestly I had no idea that a cruise to Alaska could be so much fun without a doubt stunning views, took my breath away God's artistic genius is on full display in the last impact. I guarantee this. You come home refreshed and filled with all for his shift to create one point I simply think he thanked often playing in the way. It was amazing that plenty of time for pictures on shore lingering conversations around mealtime and strolling through the idyllic ports of call will be a part of some of the best part of our day laughing, singing, celebrating our God plan to come with the dates are July 1 through July 8, 2023. To learn more, call 1880-447-0441 888-447-0444 or visit insight.org/events to Alaska is painful and made possible by only those who choose to attend by Bill Meyer join us. When Chuck Swindoll explains what to do when unexpected tests rattle our world.

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The preceding message when God heals body and soul was copyrighted in 2019 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide.

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