Vinnie, Ned, Phil and all,

It very much is thought provoking as we look upon our tragedies
and  afflictions and how we classify there origin. It is one of those
things which requires putting ourselves aside and just seek God's word and
direction for what it is without our personal input, likes and dislikes,
or personal way in which we want the answer to be. It has
always  perplexed me how one blames the enemy and another with the same
affliction will thank god for it.

Brad



on 10:53 AM 5/6/2005, Vinny Samarco said:
Hey Brad,
An excellent post.  Very thought-provoking.  I have to think and pray
about
this one before I reply.
Vinny
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 7:19 PM
Subject: Affliction: God's doing or the devils?


 > 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