For Better or For Worse, In Sickness and In Health

Will you trust God through the good and the bad?

This question has frequented my mind a lot in the past few weeks. Whether in question to myself or people we meet during our door to door ministry. As I tell people that struggle, when looked at in the right perspective can give God an opportunity to show His power and provision and gives us an opportunity to grow in faith, I find myself wonderfing if I will choose that path in my own life. 

Some verses that I have been clinging to are:

Psalm 20

Psalm 41:1-3

Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them-they are counted among the blessed in the land-He does not give them over to the desire of their foes. The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.

Ecclesiastes 9:7-8

Go eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyfuul heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. (Wearing white and anointing yourself with oil were expressions of joy. God wants us to be happy and enjoy the earth He created for us.)

Ecclesiastes 11:5

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mothers womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. (Although proving that we will not always understand life, it’s comforting knowing that God is in control).

 Jeremiah 29:11-14

When we don’t understand why things are happening, when they don’t make sense in our minds or seem like the best situations we can take comfort in the fact that God’s plans for us are good. He is always in control. He wants us to enjoy life and He gives us hope and a future. He will bring us out of captivity.

As I was thinking about all of this today for some reason wedding vows popped into my mind. For better or worse, in sickness and in health, til death do us part. The bible talks a lot about the relationship between us and Christ as a marriage. Life will be hard, there is no doubt that horrible things will happen and we might not always agree with the way God chooses to do things or let them happen, but will we choose to trust God through it? Asking Jesus into your heart is like taking wedding vows. We are agreeing to stick with God when our lives are better or worse, when were surrounded by sickness or health. One thing is for sure, we will never be seperated by death. Because Jesus conquered death on the cross death will not do us part. Nothing will do us part because Jesus promise to stand by our side through thick and thin, whether we acknowledge Him or not. 

Tyler spoke about the nearness of God at church last week, it was such a good message. I got so much from it.  A couple things he said really spoke to my soul and I’d like to share them with you:

We were created for a relationship, it’s in our DNA.

It’s always been God’s plan to be with you, there is no second plan.

The God of the universe comes to live inside of us, that’s nearness.

He’s already pleased with you, you don’t have to do anything to earn His affection. 

The line that really stuck with me was this: God might be silent but He isn’t absent. There is so much truth in that.

Here are some of the scripture references he used:

Gen 3:8

John 3:16/ 17:3

Rev 21:3

1 John 4:13-19

Zech 1:3

I want to challenge you to look at your life and ask yourself, “Do I trust God in the good and bad? Will I? Will I let Him use my circumstances for growth? Will I let Him bring beauty to my brokeness? Will I rely on His joy give me the strength to carry on?”

God wants you to be happy. Rejoice! The victory is His. He is good, He is faithful to carry us through. Seek out the promises He has given you, claim them and stand firm on His truths. Praise be the name of the Lord. 

For better or worse, in sickness and in health, death does not do us part.