Sometimes it takes "evil"

I was recently diagnosed with mono again. It's quite painful. In fact, the pain is driving me off the wall. The Holy God of the universe is sovereign over all and has a plan and purpose. It's called providence.

Sometimes it takes "evil" for God to wake His people up- or people in general. Of course, I'm not at all saying that God entices people to do evil or does moral evil against anyone. That is heresy. What I am saying is that God does ordain things like sickness which people today categorize as an evil.

Deuteronomy 28:58-60 says "If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God- the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you."

Now I must of course mention that we are no longer under such a covenant. But I will also say that God does not change. Though He has given us a new Covenant and christian believers are partakers of it and in it, that does not mean that God could not and does not act like He did in the days of the old covenant. He is the same God after all. I'm just very much under the impression that on this side of salvation history, God is more patient with us because of the Sacrifice of Christ.

Anyhow, not to get sidetracked... follow my train of thought if you will. It's amazing what you can find in the old testament. It really is. Listen to this testimony. So much can be thought about with this passage.

2 Chronicles 16:11-13
" The events of Asa's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers."

Now I'm not at all going to go off on some bizarre tangent claiming we shouldn't seek help from doctors. I think what is being portrayed in this passage is this- (though not explicitly said I do believe it is implied.) Asa's illness was an occasion for Him to cry out to the Lord but He did not. In fact, it would not at all surprise me if his illness was actually there so that He might seek help from the Lord.

I've been in a spiritual lethargy. I struggle greatly in my prayer life and any "healthy" christian will tell you that it is prayer that strengthens one most in their walk. The act of prayer in and of itself is an act where one looks away from Himself and looks to the Lord. The duty/privilege of trust is most commonly exercised in prayer (at least I would argue it is).

So God, being the covenant making God that He is says "I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me."

It's also said of this God "Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."

I really believe that God is saying through my illness. Hey, you won't pray to me normally? You're gonna get mono... and you're gonna cry out to me. So that's what I've been doing. Mono has refueled my prayer life. I'm certainly under the impression that this jealous God who wants me and wants my praise is behind it.

Sometimes it takes "evil" to get people's attention. I'm listening God. I'm weak. I'm sick. I need a physician. I'm spiritually and physically sick and I need you. Jesus Christ must be my rock.