Reading the devotion Kathy posted, and the  various responses.  I wondered
what do we know about affliction?  No offense to anyone, these are just
observations that came to me again through passed studies and meditating
on them. On one hand we say that God, regarding one certain
affliction,  wants us this way and not to be healed, and on another hand
holds yet another affliction, that we not ought have to live this
way.  Are we selectively picking out afflictions for our own purposeful
reason as to why they exist? Blindness is of god, and depression of the
devil? Is not affliction simply affliction? Jesus healed those thrashing
about in seizures, those blind, those with leprosy, those with lameness,
deformed arms, bent over woman, woman with  a blood issue, not to mention
raised a few from the dead as well. Peter, Paul, and OK Mary, since that
is the trio you old timers were thinking anyway *smile*, Well Peter and
Paul anyway and not Mary, followed suit in such healing. So what about
affliction. Can we separate depression from blindness, from lameness, from
blood disease, from cancer, from heart disease, from high blood pressure
from acid reflux for that matter? Is God the maker and cause of them all?
Is the devil the cause of them all? Can we selectively choose who we feel
is the cause of them based upon our own particular situation or theology
which we've adjusted to accommodate the tragedy? Can we choose to believe
one affliction is of God and meant to be with us because we see no other
way of rationalizing its eminant lack of healing? And can we see in yet
another affliction, a potential cure or way out and so blame that one on
the devil with reasonably reassurance it will be overcome through modern
medicine. In short, hopeless cure equals God wants me this way, and
reasonable to good chance a cure will be on  its way, so we safely
proclaim victory over the devil's work. If  a man of God walked up to me
and healed me of my blindness, can I say then that god made me blind for
his glory, or do I say it is of God's glory I was healed. Do I read
scripture in the old testament which says that blind, deaf, and afflicted,
god made them all, and believe that to mean he made me blind, or simply
that he made me, and my blindness is of  another cause. Over the years
I've seen folks, particularly in the blind community I guess because I'm
part of it, that folks tend to  start off with a faith that God can, will
and is able to heal them, but cannot reason it out of "why", "why doesn't
God do it then". And so make assumption that he wants us this way.
Similarly to the depressed pastor in the article. I agree David had his
moments of great depression, but just as much he had tremendous strength
leadership and boldness. I'm not certain I'd want to follow a pastor who
struggles to get up and lead his flock much less feed himself or go on
with a normal day, and then to believe it takes more faith to endure it
than be healed of it.  I do agree in one sense that it takes more faith to
endure, that is true but that too does not equate a reason to cuddle the
thoght God wants him this way. It takes more faith to endure the
affliction than to give up to it and follow it's path of least resistance.
In this case, this pastor would  lessen his faith and succumb to laying
around in bed, show up unkempt where ever he goes, and perhaps even take
his own life. That is no life of leisure and quite miserable, yet takes no
faith. It does take faith to endure it, try to over come it, and in the
case of the pastor, indeed there are ways to overcome it which I hope he
does find. Relating to blindness how is this different? Do we not find it
easier to succumb to the affliction as we see it remain in our lives and
give up on seeking god's healing hand, and fall into the comfort zone of
stating God wants me this way to use me? Sure God can use us where ever we
are, but he certainly don't need me to be blind to minister to the blind,
or sighted for that matter. It does however take tremendous faith to stand
in faith that perhaps it is not necessarily our faith that is preventing
us from being healed, but perhaps our lining up with god's will in our
life? In James I believe it says that some will not get what they've asked
for because they will use it for ways which are not of God's will or word.
Is it possible that we yes, need to have faith to be healed, for without
it we cannot be saved, why should we think differently of healing, and
that perhaps we too need to continue to shout to god from the streets and
seek to line up our lives towards his will and out of our persitence and
obedicne to his word, he might one day in fact heal us. Now I will say
that does not constitute the opposite, making healing our God and not God
our god, that is not balance either. But what of it? Is our afflictions
here on Earth of God? Of the devil? Or up to us to selectively plant
responsibility on one or the other based upon how we wish to interpret it
or have it fit our theology enough that we can reasonably find our way
through life.

Brad