You Feel Horrible Every Day and Things are Just Getting Worse

There’s so much information out there and you’re scared to try anything and honestly, don’t even know where to start.

Do you feel this way – like healing is hopeless because you’ve exhausted all your options or you just can’t get clarity for which path you should take?

You’re not alone.

May I take a moment to encourage you?

I Know The Feeling Very Well

I’ll never forget the sinking feeling in my stomach and my hopelessness on my way home from the ER after spending ANOTHER $1,000 only for the conventional doctors to tell me nothing was wrong and they didn’t know why I was swelling and itching insanely or why my weight was 96 pounds.

I came home that day and sat on my couch and wept deeply.

Scared and sad were understatements.

I felt like it was my time to die and that my life was over.

All my options were gone. At that point, I had spent 6 years trying to heal to no avail. Instead, I got worse and worse.

The hopelessness I felt was gut-wrenching.

The heartbreak was overwhelming.

My physical and emotional suffering was insurmountable.

I’ll Never Forget

When the world of doctors had failed me, God met me where I was at as I cried out to Him.

Through a series of circumstances, He showed me the GAPS diet and it’s there that my true healing journey began.

He gave me clarity slowly and in His perfect timing.

It was as if I had been staring at a darkened, blurred photograph of my life when, slowly, the edges started becoming lighter and clearer and the center of the photograph started coming into focus.

Over the course of seven months, the edges of that photo continued to become clearer and clearer until almost everything was in focus and bright.

My healing path was revealed to me by God.

Your Healing Path

There is a story in the Bible that is a wonderful illustration of heading into the unknown with no plan or understanding of what to do and trembling with fear as well as what to do about it.

Grab your Bible and open it to 2 Chronicles 20:1-21. Take a moment to read those verses then come back here.

For the rest of this post, I’d like to camp on these passages to help you use the Truth of God’s word to find clarity for your healing path.

As you’ve read, King Jehoshaphat was told that three armies were coming to battle him and his country and he feared greatly.

He was facing an insurmountable threat in which he had no clue what the solution was.

The First Thing Jehoshaphat Did

Upon hearing this horrible report of this looming threat, the Bible says, “he set himself to see the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”

What a Great Example

When we are facing an illness that seems to have no answers, the best thing we can do is turn to the Lord. We should seek the Lord first.

King Jehoshaphat, who was a Godly king and knew he didn’t have the answers as to how they were going to defeat these three huge armies, was overwhelmed and scared and knew that there was only One who could point the way.

Here’s what I love about the beginning of this story…

Not only did the King recognize his weakness and lack of resources to fight the bad guys which prompted him to run to God first, but in his wisdom, he also proclaimed a fast throughout the entire country.

• Could you do a fast of sorts? Maybe not from food or water since that might make you feel worse, but is there something else that is capturing your heart apart from God that you could give up for a while?
• Additionally, could you gather together a group of close friends or family and ask them to pray with you and for you and even fast for a time with you?

When we seek the Lord and assemble like-minded support, God is with us. The Bible says that wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. {Matthew 18:20}

Humility

Jehoshaphat was humble. He said,

For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; NOR DO WE KNOW WHAT TO DO, but our eyes are upon You. 

God Met Jehoshaphat Where He was at

In God’s infinite grace and mercy, He sent a prophet to bring clarity and encouragement.

In verse 15, the God of all comfort, who is all powerful, gave His divine guidance.

Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

Do you know that God has the same message for you as a follower of Him?

Your battle with chronic illness is His. He is the Ultimate Healer. He doesn’t want you to be afraid, Instead, He wants you to come to Him in complete humility and surrender and allow Him to battle it out for you and show you the way.

You Will Not Need to Fight This Battle

The prohet tells the people more of the Lord’s words.

You will not need to fight in this battle….. stand firm and hold your position, see the salvation of the Lord who is WITH you…. do not fear or be dismayed…. for the Lord is with you. (vs. 17)

When God does the battling, we simply need to walk with Him and trust in Him. Cling to the Lord during this time of obscurity and unknowns. Stand firm in your faith. Seek Him with your whole heart. Do not fear. Let God do the battling for you.

They Praised Him

When the prophet finished telling them God’s words, King Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground along with all the people of Judah and worshipped the Lord. (vs. 18)

They bowed before the Lord and also stood confidently to praise God with voices loud and high.

You have a profound opportunity in this foggy storm you’re in with chronic illness.

Even though you may not know exactly what to do next or even of or how you will feel in the next hour, you can still seek and praise the Lord for WHO He is. His mercy truly does endure forever (vs. 21b)

In the End, They Gave Thanks

King Jehoshaphat and the inhabitants of Judah didn’t know exactly how the battle was going to turn out but they did know the God that was going to go to battle for them.

My Favorite Part of the Story

As morning came and the enemy approached, the King and all of Judah began singing praise to the Lord and while the people were praising Him, the Lord set ambushes against the enemy and they ended up defeating themselves!

Did you get that, while the people were praising God, He fought the battle and conquered the army?

What a miraculous victory!

In Your Chronic Illness, He Can do the Battle While You Praise Him

Chronic illness and all the unknowns and pain it comes with is daunting. There’s no doubt about that. However, you can use this true story in Biblical history as a wise example of how you should approach the chronic illness battle in your life.

It’s ok to fear. Our human nature cannot escape it. However, when you give your fear to Christ in humility and admit that you don’t know what to do next – and – you praise Him in the storm, He will battle for you.

I know it’s counterintuitive to our human nature that in surrender the battle is won, but when God does our fighting (which He does) that’s how it works.

Your Spiritual Road Map for Healing Your Chronic Illness

Friend, I know where you’re at today. I’ve been there and had no clue what I was supposed to do to get well again. However, God knew the whole picture. He knew that He would show me the way and light my path. He knew he would transform my life from the inside out through the battle I faced that He fought.

He knew!

Surrender your fear to God. Seek Him and fast while calling on supporters to do the same with you. Focus on WHO God is and His promises and ask the Lord to show you the way. Allow the Lord to fight the battle and stand firm in your faith. Praise Him with all your heart and give thanks for what He has done and what He will do in your life both physically and emotionally.

Praying for the Lord’s work in your life and that He will conquer your enemies!