KACS Radio Network

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Philippians 1:29, NKJV.

As my wife was driving me to a speaking appointment, she asked, "What are you preaching about today?”

"I thought I’d talk about how it takes more faith not to be healed than to be healed.”

"What?” she exclaimed, driving a little erraticly

I tried to explain, "Some people don’t have enough faith to not be healed, so all God can do is heal them!”

I continued, "We have always thought that if we have enough faith, we will be healed. But, in fact, the opposite may be true. If we have lots of faith perhaps we will not be healed.”

If you question this thesis, as my wife did, here’s Bible evidence: All Jesus’ disciples but one died a martyr’s death, and that one was banished to Patmos. John the Baptist perished alone in the dungeon. Elisha received a double portion of God’s Spirit, but died after a lingering illness. Why? It is not God’s will that people suffer. But it is His will to have an honor guard of those who continue to trust Him during a devastating illness or terrible trial, and say like Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15, NKJV).

We tend to ignore the stories where God’s dedicated people didn’t get the miracles they prayed for. Instead we tell the ones about the grasshoppers that stopped at the fence of the tithe payer but ate all the crops of the neighbors. Or if the grasshoppers ate the tithe payer’s crops, we tell about him saying, "If the Lord wants to graze His creatures on His property, that’s OK.”

Reality is, the vast majority of people who ask for a miracle don’t get what they ask for! Instead, these people prove that they do not serve God for what they get out of Him. They serve Him regardless of what happens. This is what real faith is all about. One of my favorite writers, "Anonymous,” put it this way, "There is a peace that cometh after sorrow, of hope surrendered, not hope fulfilled, peace that looks not on tomorrow but on the tempest. A peace that does not find peace of successes, but of conflicts endured. A life subdued, from will and passion free. That peace triumphed in Gethsemane. Thy will be done.”

May you find the peace that God offers, regardless of whatever may come your way today.