Illness – Being a Pilgrim

“You know what I long for, Lord; You hear my every sigh.
My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind.
My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.
Even my own family stands at a distance.”
Psalms‬ ‭38:9-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David, the Psalmist, is ill. And it sounds pretty serious. Serious enough for people to keep well out of his way. We don’t have any clues from Scripture about what he was suffering from, but he was complaining well.

How do we react in times of illness? Of course it depends on how serious the situation is. Some people are positive and stoical. Others see the Grim Reapers coming up the garden path with the first snivel. I’m the worst when it comes to illness, complaining and ruing the injustices in life before whatever I have caught even takes a hold. In this Covid pandemic, however, we’re reminded once again of the frailty of human life and how vulnerable we are to the damage microscopic organisms can do to us. Unless we lock ourselves away to avoid contact with the people and the environment around us, we will always be at risk of catching something.

But in His wonderful design, our Creator God has provided two defence mechanisms. One is the natural process our bodies go through to deal with infections, our immune systems, boosted by the vaccines and drugs provided by modern science. The other is the power of prayer and the importance of our relationship with Father God, particularly when the illness is more serious and as yet beyond what medical science can treat.

What was it about the great missionary doctors and nurses, who in past ages deliberately ignored the risk of infections, instead to minister compassionately to those with horrible illnesses like leprosy? Or those Christians in the Middle Ages, who stayed behind to nurse plague victims while everyone else did a runner? These were dear people who often died at a young age from illnesses caught from those they were ministering to. They had that realisation that our time here on Planet Earth is finite and our lives as Citizens of Heaven has to be lived in accordance with God’s will and purposes; they dedicated their lives to the care of others.

But David also made the association between his feverish state and his sins and guilt. Is there such a connection? Many people have argued that there isn’t but others, even the medics, have found that an uneasy and guilt-ridden conscience can impact our bodily functions. Personally, I think there is a link, because God has designed us with something called a conscience inside of us; the violation of it will upset our physical and mental well-being and equilibrium, as our Psalmist David knew well.

David finished his Psalm with the prayer, “Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Saviour.” There are two significant words and sentiments here – “help” and “Saviour”. God is always our Helper; He is only a prayer away from our predicament. And He is also our wonderful Saviour. What a wonderful God He is!

God has promised this by His holiness: “I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, My helmet, will produce My warriors, and Judah, My sceptre, will produce My kings. But Moab, My washbasin, will become My servant, and I will wipe My feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia.”
Psalm 60:6-8 NLT

David, the Warrior King, is out doing battle again. This time the fight was against Aram to the North but it seemed to be a struggle, if verses 1-4 of the Psalm are anything to go by. However, God made clear His support for His people and His disdain for the other three nations who surrounded Israel to the West, East and South.

But what is the relevance of this Psalm to 21st Century Planet Earth? To the societies in which we live? Though the Western societies are largely at peace with each other, there are places in the world that seem to exist in a permanent sense of strife. And there are governments that impose peace on their populations with a heavy hand. The answer comes in the last verse, “With God’s help we will do mighty things, for He will trample down our foes.” Whatever we are about, God’s help is available to us. We may not be fighting a physical battle with a strong foe. We may not be surrounded by malevolent nations. But we will be facing one battle or another or know someone who is. We might be fighting a battle on a ventilator with Covid. We might be fighting a battle against cancer or some other life-threatening illness. It might be our mental health that is drawing us into a battle against depression. We might battle to get up in the morning, held back by aches and pains due to arthritis. These days, we might be fighting a battle getting basic commodities such as road fuel or paying rising energy bills. It doesn’t matter what we are facing into in life, though. God will help us in our battles. There are many helpful Scriptures. Here’s a good one (they’re all good though!), “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God Himself will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 3:22.

So whatever you are facing into today, whatever battle you are fighting, hang on to the thought written by David in today’s Psalm – “With God’s help we will do mighty things...” So go for it, mighty warriors! And believe for God’s provision in your fight against your foes.