The Way

Illness & Hardship

Draft, under review

For everyone · Tell us where you are

  1. Does God care about my sickness?

    • Ps 41:1–3

      1For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Blessed is the one who cares for the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the day of trouble. 2The Lord will protect and preserve him; He will bless him in the land and refuse to give him over to the will of his foes. 3The Lord will sustain him on his bed of illness and restore him from his bed of sickness.

    • Matt 8:14–17

      14When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. 15So He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him. 16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. Keep reading

    • Jas 5:14–16

      14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

  2. What about the thorn that doesn't go away?

    Paul's thorn was not removed, and he was not lacking in faith (2 Cor 12:7-10). Unhealed illness is never a sign of weak faith.

    • 2 Cor 12:7–10

      7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. Keep reading

    • Rom 8:26–28

      26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. 27And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

  3. Can I trust God when I lose everything?

    • Job 1:20–22

      20Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, 21saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

    • Hab 3:17–19

      17Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, 18yet I will exult in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! 19God the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.

    • Phil 3:7–11

      7But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. 8More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith. Keep reading