SCRIPTURE:
As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you
Galatians 4:13
OBSERVATION:
Do you like being sick? I’d bet that you don’t enjoy being sick. I know I don’t like being sick. In fact, we’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that enjoys sickness. Being ill is debilitating. It is inconvenient. It is not something anyone should desire. And yet, even so, our good God has found a way to redeem even sickness for His good.
In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul mentions the reason why he preached the Gospel in Galatia: “it was because of an illness.” Paul specifically went to Galatia because he was sick. He only stopped in this city because of his illness and his need for recuperation. While Galatia was an inconvenient detour for Paul, it was not so for God. God used Paul’s illness to get the Gospel to where it needed to be. It was because of an illness that the Gospel reached Galatia, that the Church was founded in Galatia, and that many were saved in Galatia. Paul’s illness was not God’s punishment to Paul; it was God’s grace to the people of Galatia.
APPLICATION:
No one enjoys being sick. In fact, as I am writing this, I find myself at home sick, wishing I were carrying on with normal life. However, even today in my frustration with illness, I recognize that God’s grace is still present in my illness. Through this illness, God has gotten my attention. While I have not been able to work, I have been able to spend uninterrupted time with my Father. While I have not been able to be active, I have been able to lie down in green pastures at the feet of my Good Shepherd. While I have not been able to get through my to-do list, I have been able to rest and recalibrate back to more sustainable rhythms of life.
Don’t get me wrong––I am not saying that sickness is good. Sickness is not good. I wish sickness upon no one, and pray blessings of good health upon everyone. God is not the source of sickness, and His desire is not for people to be ill. However, what I am saying is that God can turn everything around for good––including sickness. As Paul writes in Romans 8:28 NIV, “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God can, and will, turn around for good everything––the good, the bad, and everything in between, including illness.
God’s grace is everywhere. Whether it’s illness, inconvenience, or unplanned problems, God’s grace is everywhere. While the inconvenience you face may not be your Plan A, trust that God’s grace is in the middle of your mess. For if God can use Paul’s inconvenience to start a revival in Galatia, then surely, by His grace, He can turn around your mess to catalyze a revival in your life.
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for your grace. And while we wish we did not have to endure problems, I thank You for the problems I face, because it is in the midst of my mess that I often find your greatest grace. Thank you for turning all things around for good. I surrender my messes, my inconveniences, and my Plans A through Z to you. Sovereign Lord, have your way in my life––I know you will always be gracious, for that is who You are. I trust in You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
