Is sickness a blessing?

[MaryM]

I like the writing of the Rev J R Miller, he imparts much wisdom and clarifies Biblical questions.

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

I am not sure at all about that! My health of late has not been good and I definitely DO NOT feel it is a blessing. I pray to Jesus for healing and strength and I always feel comfort is given. I want to be well and I believe Jesus heals, He spent His ministry on earth healing people. He wants us to have life abundantly - surely this does not mean suffering?

To me all sickness and disease is bad and frightening. Yes we learn lessons and grow in character by earnest prayer, by leaning on God and trusting Him to heal us. I know many people do live very great productive lives DESPITE awful afflictions. This we may certainly admire and take inspiration from. Certainly we don't learn anything useful during easy good times, adversity is often a time of learning true lessons.

But to call sickness an actual blessing is going too far in my view. Can and should anyone actually welcome illness? I am just not made of such stern stuff!

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

 

[Artios1]

I like the writing of the Rev J R Miller, he imparts much wisdom and clarifies Biblical questions.

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

I am not sure at all about that! My health of late has not been good and I definitely DO NOT feel it is a blessing. I pray to Jesus for healing and strength and I always feel comfort is given. I want to be well and I believe Jesus heals, He spent His ministry on earth healing people. He wants us to have life abundantly - surely this does not mean suffering?

To me all sickness and disease is bad and frightening. Yes we learn lessons and grow in character by earnest prayer, by leaning on God and trusting Him to heal us. I know many people do live very great productive lives DESPITE awful afflictions. This we may certainly admire and take inspiration from. Certainly we don't learn anything useful during easy good times, adversity is often a time of learning true lessons.

But to call sickness an actual blessing is going too far in my view. Can and should anyone actually welcome illness? I am just not made of such stern stuff!

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

Well …. if sickness is a blessing….. does Rev J R Miller want us to pray for him…. that he gets and stays sick… so he can be blessed all the days of his life.

Being sick may be an opportunity to believe God for healing…..but that is as far as I will go. It’s not a blessing it doesn’t make you humble and it’s not from God ….well, not our God ……. it is from the god if this world (age).

Being sick diminishes your capacity to be the best for God. It inhibits your walk and captivates your thoughts which are opposing to your walk in the resurrection perfection that has been made unto us.

 

[notmyown]

And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)

let me restate that: And we KNOW that God works ALL THINGS together for the good of those who love Him...
do we believe this?

Paul goes on to say:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (v 35)
hmm... doesn't sound "good", does it?

if something comes from our Father's hand, it's good; it's for our good and for His glory.

i will pray for you, that the Lord will heal you. i don't at all wish to convey the idea your suffering isn't very real.
meanwhile, you have the opportunity to rejoice in the Lord always.

 

[notmyown]

Being sick diminishes your capacity to be the best for God. It inhibits your walk and captivates your thoughts which are opposing to your walk in the resurrection perfection that has been made unto us.

being sick might also be used by God as a very powerful witness. you never know.

 

[Gideon300]

I like the writing of the Rev J R Miller, he imparts much wisdom and clarifies Biblical questions.

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

I am not sure at all about that! My health of late has not been good and I definitely DO NOT feel it is a blessing. I pray to Jesus for healing and strength and I always feel comfort is given. I want to be well and I believe Jesus heals, He spent His ministry on earth healing people. He wants us to have life abundantly - surely this does not mean suffering?

To me all sickness and disease is bad and frightening. Yes we learn lessons and grow in character by earnest prayer, by leaning on God and trusting Him to heal us. I know many people do live very great productive lives DESPITE awful afflictions. This we may certainly admire and take inspiration from. Certainly we don't learn anything useful during easy good times, adversity is often a time of learning true lessons.

But to call sickness an actual blessing is going too far in my view. Can and should anyone actually welcome illness? I am just not made of such stern stuff!

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

Sickness is the result of sin coming into the world. If it was such a blessing, why did Jesus heal everyone who asked Him for healing? I've had two near fatal illnesses and a chronic debilitating one before that. This is in the last 7 years. The Lord healed me, once by a miracle, the other courtesy of the medical profession. I learned some lessons. I'm 71 and I value my health more than ever. I've not yet run my race, at least as far as I am concerned.

 

[MsMediator]

Sickness is not a blessing in itself because it results in a lower quality of life, but some good things which may be considered more important by God than quality of life come out of it. One is teaching us empathy for others who are sick. Another is the opportunity to lean closer to God.

 

[Artios1]

being sick might also be used by God as a very powerful witness. you never know.

No doubt God can always turn a lemon into lemonade. God may use situations, but he doesn’t cause us sickness in effort to provide the situations.

I think we all have been sick at one time or another and I have seen sickness at its worst in others. There is not a single person who has suffered from a common cold to ravaging diseases who has thought it a blessing and didn’t want to be whole.

From this life into eternity this is how I want to live Jhn 10:10 … I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

[notmyown]

No doubt God can always turn a lemon into lemonade. God may use situations, but he doesn’t cause us sickness in effort to provide the situations.

I think we all have been sick at one time or another and I have seen sickness at its worst in others. There is not a single person who has suffered from a common cold to ravaging diseases who has thought it a blessing and didn’t want to be whole.

From this life into eternity this is how I want to live Jhn 10:10 … I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

welp, as the great theologian Mick Jagger once said, you can't always get what you want.

 

[Gideon300]

And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)

let me restate that: And we KNOW that God works ALL THINGS together for the good of those who love Him...
do we believe this?

Paul goes on to say:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (v 35)
hmm... doesn't sound "good", does it?

if something comes from our Father's hand, it's good; it's for our good and for His glory.

i will pray for you, that the Lord will heal you. i don't at all wish to convey the idea your suffering isn't very real.
meanwhile, you have the opportunity to rejoice in the Lord always.

Sickness is inextricably linked with sin (psalm 103). Jesus healed everyone who came to Him. Yes, an affliction may be for good, but fatalistic acceptance of illness is not of God.

There was a time when sickness was considered to be always from God. One preacher years ago went to a hospital to pray for a sick man. The patient told him that the sickness was from God. So the preacher wanted to know why the man was being medicated and in hospital being treated. Good question, I thought.

 

[notmyown]

Sickness is inextricably linked with sin (psalm 103). Jesus healed everyone who came to Him. Yes, an affliction may be for good, but fatalistic acceptance of illness is not of God.

There was a time when sickness was considered to be always from God. One preacher years ago went to a hospital to pray for a sick man. The patient told him that the sickness was from God. So the preacher wanted to know why the man was being medicated and in hospital being treated. Good question, I thought.

thank you. i agree we ought not accept illness "fatalistically". we should ask the Lord for help!
yes, sin and sickness and death are invaders in God's good world. but suffering is part of living the Christian life.

do you also believe no Christian should ever be in need? what about martyrdom?

 

[studentoftheword]

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

Sickness is NOT A BLESSING ----All SICKNESS and DISEASE comes under the CURSE ---ONLY HEALTH comes under the BLESSINGS -----

JESUS Took all sickness and Disease with Him on the Cross for BELIEVERS ---that is scriptural -----

Don't be Deceived ----know your Scriptures -----



Isaiah 53 ----
But he ·took [bore] our suffering on him
and ·felt our pain for us [carried our sorrows/sickness].

·We saw his suffering
and thought God was punishing him [L …stricken and afflicted by him; C God].

5 But he was wounded for ·the wrong we did [T our transgressions];
he was crushed for ·the evil we did [T our iniquities].

The punishment, which ·made us well [brought us wholeness/peace], was given to him,
and we are healed because of his ·wounds [lacerations; T stripes; 1 Pet. 2:24].


I say ----By His Stripes we ARE HEALED ---past tense here



Matthew 8:17

English Standard Version
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

Berean Standard Bible
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took on our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

Greek word for infirmities

Strong's #769: astheneia (pronounced as-then'-i-ah)
from 772; feebleness (of mind or body); by implication, malady; morally, frailty:--disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.


You either believe this or you don't -------

the curses for disobedience and unbelievers are in Deuteronomy 28 ---all Sicknesses and Diseases are listed under the Curse -----

True Christians are under the Blessings ---in Deuteronomy 28 ----only health listed ------

Sickness and Disease today for true believers is caused by stresses of this world that we allow to harbour in our lives -----like anxiety --stress ----fear --doubt --wavering Faith -----etc ----True Believers need to keep their gate Closed to allowing the cares of this would to affect their health ------

 

[GRACE_ambassador]

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

Precious friend, this may be helpful:

GRACE Word for our infirmities

 

[MaryM]

Well …. if sickness is a blessing….. does Rev J R Miller want us to pray for him…. that he gets and stays sick… so he can be blessed all the days of his life.

Being sick may be an opportunity to believe God for healing…..but that is as far as I will go. It’s not a blessing it doesn’t make you humble and it’s not from God ….well, not our God ……. it is from the god if this world (age).

Being sick diminishes your capacity to be the best for God. It inhibits your walk and captivates your thoughts which are opposing to your walk in the resurrection perfection that has been made unto us.

I agree completely. The Rev Miller is long gone, he wrote many years ago and I do love his works. However, on this point I really wonder! Sickness is a challenge, a trial and test etc. Not a blessing though. I would never ever say to anyone that they should be glad to be sick.
Jesus healed all who asked, he still does, in whichever way is best in His judgment. Yet I do not think He ever told someone to be grateful for their affliction.

 

[Subhumanoidal]

If sickness is such a great blessing then this guy going around healing people would have been robbing people of their blessings?
How one can teach sickness is a blessing while also claiming to heal is beyond me.

 

[memmett]

I like the writing of the Rev J R Miller, he imparts much wisdom and clarifies Biblical questions.

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

I am not sure at all about that! My health of late has not been good and I definitely DO NOT feel it is a blessing. I pray to Jesus for healing and strength and I always feel comfort is given. I want to be well and I believe Jesus heals, He spent His ministry on earth healing people. He wants us to have life abundantly - surely this does not mean suffering?

To me all sickness and disease is bad and frightening. Yes we learn lessons and grow in character by earnest prayer, by leaning on God and trusting Him to heal us. I know many people do live very great productive lives DESPITE awful afflictions. This we may certainly admire and take inspiration from. Certainly we don't learn anything useful during easy good times, adversity is often a time of learning true lessons.

But to call sickness an actual blessing is going too far in my view. Can and should anyone actually welcome illness? I am just not made of such stern stuff!

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

Sickness is not to be considered a curse to those walking with God, but something that God intends to use for the faithful Christian's good or for the good of others.

 

[memmett]

Sickness is the result of sin coming into the world. If it was such a blessing, why did Jesus heal everyone who asked Him for healing? I've had two near fatal illnesses and a chronic debilitating one before that. This is in the last 7 years. The Lord healed me, once by a miracle, the other courtesy of the medical profession. I learned some lessons. I'm 71 and I value my health more than ever. I've not yet run my race, at least as far as I am concerned.

I'm 70 and have suffered health issues yet I trust the Lord to do with me as He will, in sickness or in health, in wealth or in poverty, and in joy or in sorrow. I know I have an appointed time to die and I want to go when the Lord wills.

 

[Cameron143]

No doubt God can always turn a lemon into lemonade. God may use situations, but he doesn’t cause us sickness in effort to provide the situations.

I think we all have been sick at one time or another and I have seen sickness at its worst in others. There is not a single person who has suffered from a common cold to ravaging diseases who has thought it a blessing and didn’t want to be whole.

From this life into eternity this is how I want to live Jhn 10:10 … I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Can one experience life and in abundance and be sick at the same time?

 

[Cameron143]

What, I wonder, is the purpose of the Book of Job?

 

[Magenta]

What, I wonder, is the purpose of the Book of Job?

The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. .. (Job 1:21b)

 

[Cameron143]

The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. .. (Job 1:21b)

So it seems worship can be an outcome of sickness.