April 8

Blessed by Sickness

One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. — John 5:5 BSB

That was a long time to be sick—thirty-eight years. It’s very hard to be ill year after year. This passage may speak to those who have suffered like this, and it’s good to take a moment to consider their situation. Christian invalids have many sources of comfort if they’re willing to take them to heart. God never makes mistakes in how he deals with his children. He knows which school will teach them the best lessons and which experiences will help them grow the most.

Richard Baxter, a Christian pastor and writer, has a strange reflection on this: “What a great mercy it was to live thirty-eight years under God’s wholesome discipline! O my God, I thank you for fifty-eight years of similar discipline; how safe a life this is compared to one of full prosperity and pleasure!”

Sick rooms should be sacred places to us because we know that God has brought us there for a special purpose in our souls. We must be careful not to miss the good he wants to bring out of our suffering. Only those who trust Christ and lean on him can truly be blessed through sickness. Too often, illness makes people discontented, unhappy, bitter, and restless. Sickness doesn’t always accomplish its intended purpose in those who suffer. These times require us to be extra watchful over our hearts and especially prayerful. Be sure to keep the sickness out of your heart, and keep Christ there with his love and peace.