i have been to counseling,have been on meds, prayered for, fasted, and stood on the word of God, yet my depression, anxiety, and paranoia still is with me after many years. my point is this if God is not in this, then He must not care at all about me. or i am quite sure one or more will say it is my fault or a lack of faith on my part, if He is not in control who is satan, then would satan be equal to God, I know that that is not possible, God created satan with the full knowledge of what he would do(satan), but God has to be in this, or what hope do i have. if He is not with me in this then what is the point . what more must i do, i know send some of my money to a name and claim ministry. that should work, maybe i can by my healing. so please do not tell me God does not use this, because it has broken up my family, my kids want nothing to do with me, so im am alone, and if God is not in this with me, maybe a bullet in my brain is the answer
Alas! Now I see how God has been using this thread to help me. Praise God smitty! My very greatest desire is to help others through Christ and I was trying to do that on this thread; but I left this thread feeling unwanted and humiliated, by the church of all people. I previously posted my thoughts and feelings and, as you can see, they were not taken very well. I thought something was wrong with me, wrong with my understanding of the Lord. I read and re-read every verse I could about this subject, and
prayed that the Lord would open my eyes to the proper understanding because I couldn't see where I was going wrong. This is why I despise threads like this because they do nothing to edify the church, if anything they end up hurting brothers and sisters like you..... but don't worry, I see how God is using it now. Just keep reading...
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I have claimed from the very beginning that God does in fact use every bad thing to help us. And, after last night, I know for a fact that He does... He told me. I went to my Bible study group last night and guess what the topic was:
Does God use affliction to help us? Can you say coincidence... or better yet, can you say GOD! Everything we talked about was everything I believed about suffering and afflictions and I was only reassured that
yes indeed God does use every bad thing to help us. I was so excited I broke down in tears, because God answered my prayer and blessed me with the assurance and understanding I was looking for.
But it doesn't stop there. Guess what happened next. The Lord introduced me to a manic depressive young man in our group. Can you say GOD, again! We talked with him and he told me that through this affliction not only has he grown stronger, he has greater faith, and he remains hopeful that the Lord is using this and, one day, will deliver him. He said that he has many friends that are going through similar trials and others, and that in them he sees great potential for God to work... and that's the thing, God uses even the worst of things to lift us up and work in us and others.
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Smitty, I just want you to know that
God is in your life right now, He is in control of this, and He will one day deliver you with a stronger faith and greater understanding of Him. In John 9:16 Jesus heals a blind man and He says the Lord made him that way so that He could glorify Himself through him. The same is true for you. The Lord has allowed this condition in your life that He may reveal Himself through you. He has allowed this in your life, because He wants to help you become more like Christ.
Look at 2 Corinthians 1:3:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
The Lord has allowed this in your life that
YOU may thus go out and comfort others with the comfort you've received from Him. The Lord has allowed this in you life so that
YOU can share in the suffering of Christ and be more like Him. The Lord allowed this in you life for your comfort and salvation. And through this He is working to produce a patient endurance and strengthen your compassion. How wonderful is that truth! Not only do we have that hope and that knowledge, we have His promise:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Look at this passage from James:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
You can not only be hopeful, but joyful in the knowledge that the Lord is indeed using this to help you! You are facing a trial, a testing of faith, but
hallelujah a testing of faith produces perseverance! And when this trial is completed you will be more mature and closer to completion! How wonderful is that truth?
I know this is a difficult time for you, and unfortunately there are many that would discredit the abilities and authority of the Lord. But I just want you to know that He is working in you and He is making you better. I have been dealing with an issue in my life for quite a long time, and it can be easy to wonder why this is happening? I look around and I see others healed, I see others getting answered prayers, I see others receiving blessings, and I ask... God, when will it be my turn? But the Lord only keeps reassuring me that He is still working and after all this time, I know whatever He's doing must be something amazing. Smitty the Lord is doing the same in your life. We can be assured in the fact that these afflictions only last for a season. The Lord will deliver you... that is an absolute fact! But know that for now He is still working on you; He is still doing something amazing up there and in your heart; it is not quite yet your time, but I know that He must be doing something amazing for you! If you were only sick for a week, and then healed, your faith would not be very strong. But if you were sick for 5 years and then healed, your faith would be great! The Lord has His own sweet and perfect timing, and He will be working until that hour to help you fix this. Just think of the great testimony you'll have! That's what I always do
My youth group works with children with disabilities, and I work in a hospital with sick children. The most faithful people I know are these "sick" kids... why, because God has been using their weakness for His glory. Sometimes as humans we think God uses our strengths most effectively... but He can use our weaknesses for even greater things, because that way it is all Him and none of us... it is all His strength and none of ours. This may be a weakness in your eyes, but in God's eyes it is a strength because He can work in you all the more! I feel that the more trials we are dealt, the more opportunities we have to get closer to God.
With every single bad thing that happens in my life, I am brought to a greater reliance upon HIM! And quite frankly, if God can use the blind man that greatly, then Lord... make me blind!
It is when we are weak, that we are strong in Christ. It is when we are suffering, that we are strengthened in faith. This affliction in your life is not your fault; it is not because of sin; it is not a lack of faith... This affliction in your life is an opportunity for God to use you in the most
incredible ways. It is your job to allow Him to do that. Offer up this weakness for God to use as a strength. Offer up yourself for God to use as a testimony. Offer up yourself as Christ did on the cross for God to use to glorify His precious name. You are His child, you have this potential, and God will most definitely use it!
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Dear Father,
I am most thankful for the things you have taught me through this thread and this forum, and the way you have assured me of Your great and perfect power. I now see the point in this and am so grateful for the way in which you've been able to use it, and now I only hope that you've been able to speak to smitty through these words, and that You would only continue to speak to him and comfort him. Father, we know not why we face the things we face, but we do know that You use
all things for our good. I am not sure what You are doing in this mans life, or why this affliction has been brought on him, but I do know that You are doing something great and that You are using this suffering to glorify Your great name. Lord, I ask that You would deliver this man from this trial and open his eyes to see the ways in which you have used it... but until that day, dear Father, I pray that You would be strengthening this man in faith, in patience, in compassion, in love, in joy, in perseverance, and in You! When we are weak, You are strong Father; use his weakness as Your strength! In Christ's name, Amen.
God Bless you and I do hope my words have been of some comfort!
In Christ's name,
