Proverbs 15:31-32 KJV “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.  He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.”

Have you ever closed your ears when someone is trying to tell you how to do something?  Recently, my grandson and I were talking and he didn’t agree with what I was saying.  He proceeded to close his ears and hum so that he would not hear what I had to say.  Unfortunately, we as adults do the exact same thing when we do not listen to someone else’s point of view.  I’m not saying we have to agree with their point of view, but we should at least be civil enough to listen to someone’s instruction and see if it has any value or truth.  Sometimes we need to listen and hear the reproof that would set us on a path to Biblical truths.  Yes, there are those who would try to discount the value of Biblical truths.  However, God gave the Proverbs so that all mankind can gain wisdom.

In order to gain wisdom, we must be willing to accept disapproval or a reprimand from those who would admonish us.  We must be willing to listen with an open mind and heart.  Then, we should go to the Bible and check to see if what we have been admonished about holds any Biblical truth.  In this way, we can become wise in the teachings of the Lord.  We can learn His will for our lives and we can gain encouragement in knowing His will and truth.

Once you start on the journey for wisdom, you will gain a greater love for mankind.  The problem today is that very few parents are teaching unconditional love that promotes wisdom.  More than half of the children now are being raised in dysfunctional homes where love is conditional upon favors done or given.  The other fourth is being raised by grandparents who try their best to give unconditional love and are exhausted by the demands of a world full of conditions.  Be encouraged!  The Bible is filled with passages promising us the love of Jesus and His comfort.  All we need to do is believe.  John 3:16 can be claimed by all so that our sins can be forgiven and we can gain wisdom in His grace.  That is the hope we can claim.  1Corinthians 15:56-58 tells us that power over sin has been broken and we have victory through Jesus.  We are to let nothing move us and work for the Lord because that work will not be in vain.  That is encouraging!!

What does the Bible say?  2 Corinthians 4:16-18  “Therefore we do not give up.  Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.  (17) For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.  (18) So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (HCSB)

I have a sister-in-law who battles daily with the effects chemo did to her body.  I have a friend who battles daily cancer cells and going through the chemo treatments to get rid of those cells.  I’m sure you have someone close to you who suffers daily a sickness that will not go away or at least lingers longer than one would like. I have a grandson with NF 1 and to experience the anguish any parent goes through when they must endure MRI’s to determine if there are any tumors or new tumors, can be emotionally devastating.  There are many parents who put their lives on hold and anxiously await treatments of various kinds at children’s hospitals.   Anyone who struggles with a long-term health issue will eventually come to the question:  If God can heal me, why doesn’t he? or I’ve prayed Lord for a miracle to happen for my sweet baby, why have you not given that miracle?  We are human.  These questions and many others may go unanswered as we struggle to make sense of it all.

The apostle Paul had a “thorn” in his side that he pleaded for the Lord to take away.  But, what the Lord said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 was not only the answer Paul sought, it was a comfort to know that, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  God did not heal Paul’s “thorn” because he wanted Paul to understand that His grace was sufficient and that Paul would receive strength in his weakness.  For those of you who still are clamoring, “It is not fair!,”  think of it this way: someone born blind, a young twelve-year-old who dove into a pool and hit the bottom to never walk again, or maybe your own parent who is going through an illness where they must be on continual oxygen and can barely converse due to gasping for breath can live at peace knowing God is with them.  You may not be experiencing these things in your life and you should praise God for your blessings!  But, for those who are, how do we give hope to our loved ones or friends who must endure a long-term illness or catastrophic event?

2 Corinthians 12:10 gives us the answer.  (10) “So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ.” (HCSB)  Jesus promises to be with us in every and all trials.  In the Psalm 23, God has promised to walk with and protect us through it all.  Our part is to walk with our eyes fixed upon Him, with our spirits attuned to His presence, and our minds trusting in His promises.  We must place our faith in His will.  In turn, we can minister to others and give them the hope and endurance needed to go the distance.  Your friend or loved one may not receive a miracle of healing.  Paul did not.  But, it is comforting to know that God is there with us all the way and will receive us gladly into heaven when our suffering is done.  In Psalms 116:15, the Psalmist wrote, “The death of His faithful ones is valuable in the Lord’s sight.”  We will receive crowns of glory for suffering.  Rejoice in this knowledge. Share this with those who must endure their long-term sickness.  Remember, good friends help you find important things when you have lost them…things like your smile, your hope, and your courage to keep on keeping on!  I do not fully understand why God has determined to do some of His most significant work through sickness, pain, and trial.  But, when we choose to find joy, peace, and trust in God even in the midst of our suffering, He rewards us.

So, how do we help those who are suffering?  We must pray for relief from their sickness and disease.  Pray boldly for healing each and every day.  Pray that all parties would find peace in God’s will.  Second, be there!  Make an effort to take the friend or loved one to treatments or shopping or many other things we take for granted that could be a burden on the one sick.  Practice a “ministry of presence.”  Third, be involved in their care.  Take meals over, offer to babysit, run errands, or give rides to doctor appointments when needed.  You can choose to be the hope that person who is suffering needs!

An excerpt from, “A Christian Selfie”

“Throughout the New Testament, the Gospel message is one of love which seeks lost things.  Hey, I get it, David and I have had many anguished moments over me losing the keys, my wallet, the phone, my passport…you get the picture.  Naturally, the finding or recovery of lost human souls in more important.”

I write about our middle child and how her wanting to please family, self, and friends led her to escape her problems by depending on a drug (marijuana) rather than God and family.  You must read the book to understand how devastating this event and time in our lives was for us.  However, our story has a happy ending just like that of the Biblical story.

This is not true of all children.  This fact has come to my attention in recent months as I try to console dear friends in our church with the loss of a child to what evidence points to suicide.  What is devastating to them is that they do not know what happened and although the search has been going on for three months, nothing has been found to either confirm or not confirm that possibility.  We all have a need for closure when it comes to grieving over the loss of a loved one.  Unfortunately for some, closure may never come.

Life can become an emotional and spiritual struggle.  But Jesus has promised us a helper in John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–”  No matter our struggle, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to help us.  The Holy Spirit will give us a peace that passes all understanding about our loss.  The Holy spirit will lift us up if we will depend on Jesus.

I cannot imagine the pain one must have because of the loss of a child to suicide.  That is when the Holy Spirit can intercede on the behalf of those hurting.  They may not know how to pray, but the Holy Spirit will lift them up to the father.  It is a comfort to realize the gift we have been given.  Thank you, Holy Spirit, for lifting me up!