From my Heart to Yours
by Shirley A. Peter
(Atkinson, Nebraska USA)
Does God want us healthy, wealthy, prosperous, and having all of our desires of the heart met?
You can't answer this question with a direct yes or no and be correct. Because it depends on your interpretation of what being healthy, happy, and prosperous, and what the desire of your heart is.
The answer is yes, if you mean that God desires us to take care of our health, and yes that He still heals, but it means no if you believe that just faith is going to bring you that health. It takes work to keep our bodies well in this fallen world, and also sometimes God reveals himself through sickness. He has used my sicknesses to teach me all of my life. He didn't cause them, but one thing people forget, He does allow them. Nothing happens in this world without His ok, and also nothing happens to a child of His with out Him using it for His purposes. If I can't feel fulfilled without being well, then my motives for asking are not right.
Disease happens, sickness happens. Our bodies and health will not be all it is supposed to be this side of heaven. But He has promised us new bodies. Why would we need a new one if we were all going to be healed and have perfect health here on earth? He has promised us new bodies, without disease and sickness in heaven. But those things are to come after this life.
Yes, I do believe that faith is, "the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen." But I also believe in the sovereignty of God. I believe that He can and does heal people if it is done for His glory. I also believe that when we want something for ourselves more than we want God to teach us how to be holy. holy as only a human can be holy, He is not going to give us the type of healing we are asking for. He is more interested in our character growth. And He also wants us to see that in our weakness His power works best. "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) We are missing out on some wonderful things if we don't look for the lesson in all of the situations that He allows in our lives.
Happiness? Prosperity? Does God want that for us? Yes, and no are correct again. It is no if we believe that our happiness comes in ways that modern day culture suggest. It is a yes, if we believe that God wants us to be contented where we are planted and seek where He wants to go and what He wants us to do instead of looking at what we want and where we want to go. Charles Stanley said today. "Do you really love Jesus? Do you love Him enough to go where He tells you to go, do what He tells you to do, stay where He has placed you, say what He wants you to say? "
Most of us don't want to be changed. We want a perfect life, even though the bible shows that we will not find perfection on this fallen planet. Why would we desire to ever go to heaven if we had our utopia here on earth? We spend more time pursuing things for ourselves, being materialistic, and envious of those who have more than we do. We don't pursue true Godliness. Because if we are honest with ourselves, how many of us truly want to live or be as Jesus was? We don't want to spend time with those that don't know the Lord, and concentrate on doing things to bring others to Christ, but we want to spend the time enjoying what we have and get more. We don't want to be changed when it might make us unpopular, poor, or on a shelf. We don't want our pride taken away, or our rights. We dream of perfection, and hope that is what God has ask for us and gives us. Yes, He will give us perfection, but not the kind we seek. Jesus, had no place to lie His head, His friends all deserted Him, we was misunderstood, was not wealthy, nor even popular when the chips were down. He actually was not successful as the world calls successful yet, the Bible says that God's desire if for us to be changed in the image of His son. Do you/I really want to be changed to His image?
He does want us to be happy, content in any circumstances we are in because we know He is in control and that He will always give us what He knows is best for us in the long run.
I also believe that he does want us to be prosperous, not with wealth, but prosperous in the things of the spirit. Wealthy with generosity, self control, humility, love, and a trusting heart. If we have all of these things, we realize that money or prestige does not give us happiness, and the joy that passes all understanding.
I truly believe that each of us need to spend time getting to know Jesus better, and looking less at the promises of the bible which are not going to come to all of us, just as they weren't in some of the Patriarchs lives. Hebrews 11:35-39
Some women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release offered on the terms of denying their faith, so that they might be resurrected to a better life. I Kings 17:17-24; II Kings 4:25-37.
Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers to renounce their faith; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; while they were alive they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated--
Men of whom the world was not worthy--roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and living in caves and caverns and holes of the earth.
And all of these, though they won divine approval by means of their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised.
And this goes on today in many countries where our Christian brothers and sisters are dying for their faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Will we be strong enough to face persecution if it comes to America, or will we fold?
So no matter what is happening in our lives, sickness, disease, poverty, hurt, unhappiness, loss of friends, any adversity, there is a godly response that we all need to make, to be submissive to what God is trying to do in our lives for His glory and our good. Maybe we will be healed, and if so, praise the Lord, maybe we will become rich, but we will never have all we want on earth. And I know that I would never trade what God has taught me through my adversities for any amount of fame or fortune!
My desire for the last 15 years of my life has been to know God, and to do His will and I have found fulfillment. Before that time I sought, perfection in my self, perfect health, a healed back and a healed mind, a beautiful house like so many have with just the right furniture, that nothing that was too hard would happen in my life and I didn't get any of them, but I am 100 times happier than I would be if He gave me all of those things right now. No, I am willing to wait for my rewards of a beautiful mansion, a body that never gets sick or has pain, and all that I could want or desire.
The rewards He has given me here on earth are things that money and fame cannot buy and I bow in humble thankfulness that He showed me my ugly self, and has brought me to my knees, and that I now can submit to what ever He wants me to submit too. And now if I can help someone else see that life is not about wealth, or things of the world, but the things of God, I feel that my purpose is fulfilled in my lifetime.
If I can help someone be contented what ever state they are in, what ever circumstances, what ever or where ever they are, I will fill that God has used me in the way that I know He want to as He has whispered to me over and over to put my beliefs into words and spread them among some of His other kids.
As for the desires of our hearts, if what you seek is what God has told us to seek the answer is yes.
Seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.
