What do you do if you have a problem and there seems to be no solution?

You have no need to apologize. We had a disagreement, no one lost any blood and no one was banned.

If any apologies are called for, it is mine to you.

 

xd,I receive a devotional of work by A.W. Tozer every day in email. I thought of you when I read today's. I thought you might enjoy it.

December 14

Trials and Pain: The Necessity of Wounds

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.... It
is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your
statutes.
--Psalm 119:67,71

It is amazing to me! There are people within the ranks of
Christianity who have been taught and who believe that Christ will
shield His followers from wounds of every kind.

If the truth were known, the saints of God in every age were only
effective after they had been wounded. They experienced the humbling
wounds that brought contrition, compassion and a yearning for the
knowledge of God. I could only wish that more among the followers of
Christ knew what some of the early saints meant when they spoke of
being wounded by the Holy Spirit....

In every generation, the people who have found God have been those
who have come to the end of themselves. Recognizing their
hopelessness, they have been ready to throw themselves on the mercy
and grace of a forgiving God.
Men Who Met God, pp. 59,62

"Lord, don't let me waste the humbling wounds. Do Your great work
within me, and help me to respond properly and learn all You want me
to learn through Your working. Amen."

 

SBC, I hope XD was blessed by reading that. I sure was. I also came to God when I came to the end of myself. Thanks for sharing!:1_grouphug:

 

Your welcome Amy

 

It wasn't my intention to return here, but here I am, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I am somewhat perplexed that some chose to shoot the messenger, some thought they were being criticized, and some thought it was some sort of game. I'm confident that each one is aware that a psychiatrist does not go online to reveal the innermost secrets of a patient. I offered as much information as I could, without his permission. I will accept E-Mail but I can't elaborate, since I do not have his permission to say any more about it. I hope that you'll consider receiving my post as sincere, and true, not a criticism, not a game. (xdisciplex) is a real person who has an awesome understanding of the English language, and I'm a real counselor who speaks German. There are other sheep in my fold, as well. We talk to each other, function as a team. :1_grouphug: Please be kind. A special thanks to pastorsbc, Amy, hillclimber, and tragic pizza, among others (not part of the team I referenced, but certainly spiritually-led discussion leaders, imho.)

Prayerfully,

raying:

 

You can go near Him as you are. Just look up at Him. He will do something for you while you don't and cannot expect Him to do anything for you. After somewhile you will start to notice that God was doing something for you. It happened to me!
Don't be discouraged. Keep the Hope!

 

The many people who are praying for you depend on Romans 8:26. He knows and intercession is being made. We do not need to know your whole story to pray for God's love in your life. We do know prayers are answered in His time frame.

Until then, you remain in ours.

 

Thanks, NHTF. This and a previous post are very helpful. :applause:

 

I have been suffering with a degenerative muscle disorder for nearly ten years.........an involuntary lifestyle change. The pathological fatigue and weakness is not only draining physically but emotionally as well. I was at the top of my game when the symptoms proved to be a bit much. Skydiver, martial arts instructor and an NCO in the U.S. Army.....life was good. I was medically retired after 17 years of service.

My disorder has isolated me from the many joys associated with friendships, social life and physical fitness......my marriage in shambles....... went through the depression thing pretty hard also. I questioned our Lord about my new lot in life to no avail. Our Lord only knows how many tears I had shed and the number of hours I've spent petitioning Him.

Over a year ago, I came back to Christ.......no holds barred. Rejoicing over my eternal life, fellowshipping with God and holding to the promise of receiving a new body has done wonders for me. God knows what he is doing although there are times I just do not understand it all. I read where His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways, but I take comfort in knowing both His thoughts and ways are perfect.

I have never in my life have had the depth of joy that now fills my life ......there aren't any words that can fully describe this joy........it flows to all areas of my life. Just to think that one day it will be even better............boggles my mind. This, my friend, is my prayer for you.

 

Amen and amen, Predestined! Afflictions are a part of life and we must accept them as such. Just because we don't generally speak to one another about our afflictions, that does not mean we are free of them.

I am sorry you are experiencing such pain X, but understand that afflictions may last a day, week, month, year or for the rest of our lives. Affliction is not necessarily a backlash of sin, but it is God's will that we accept them and carry on. We must focus on our loving Lord and others while we die out to ourselves. I am praying for you, X ...

 

Remember when Jesus allowed Lazarus to die?

John 11:21: Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

 

Remember Job and how it seemed God wasnt helping him when he had those sores all over his body?

and remember the Apostle Paul, when he asked God to remove his affliction but God didnt do it?

God allowed John the Baptist to perish, and all sorts of other people as well suffered.
That doesnt necessarily mean that God doesnt hear your prayers or that He doesnt like you.

Claudia

 

And we will be resurrected too. :godisgood:

 

Thank you, Predestined. Thanks very much.:wavey:

 

xdisciplex:

At any rate, apparently God is trying to teach you to look beyond the worldly things, and to have faith in Him, that you cannot see. Thats what faith is...

Heb:11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

As I said, God allowed Lazarus to die, Job to suffer with illness and the loss of everything else, the Apostle Paul to get told "no" when he asked for healing, and John the Baptist to get his head whacked off.

Sometimes the only way to get us to learn to look beyond the worldly things, physical things.... is to allow them to stay just the way they are... and to get you to have faith in God you must trust Him no matter what occurs. Thats what faith is.

Job:13:15: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Claudia

 

Gruss Gott, xdisciplex!

God has heard every one of your prayers. He has heard your cry in the night, seen you at your depth and has rushed to your side. While you watched for him in the miraculous, He came to you in the ordinary. He sent you doctors. He sent you the best of science and hundreds of years of research into the human mind. He sent not one option for treatment but many. If you fear the side effects of one try another. I know your doctor cannot possibly know everything about you but your doctor is in the business of healing, not harming. You have a responsibility not to hold back any critical information about yourself. I've read up on Celexa. Some of the side effects are serious - even fatal! Make sure you've given the doctor all the information.

While God wants his children to be healthy, His greater concern is that we are holy. The text below has been a help to many over the years. I have had the opportunity to do in-service training at several social service agencies working with counselors, aides, and clinical staff who often find themselves at the end of their collective ropes.

Elijah was a powerful man of God. Days after calling down fire from Heaven he cowered in a cave in the wilderness asking if he could die. The Lord provided several important things for Elijah namely food and rest. God also gave Elijah a place to vent his pain. The prophet decried the faithless and concluded he was the only one who could understand what was going on in his heart, mind and body.

God allowed Elijah his season. Seasons come and seasons go. When Elijah's season passed the Lord continued to ask, "Why are you here?" God never once responds directly to Elijah's hurt. He reminds Elijah that - in spite of Elijah's claim to the contrary - he is not alone. And He reminds the prophet that there is much more to accomplish for the Lord.

xdisciplex, your brothers and sisters in the Lord surround you with their prayers petitioning your Creator to bring relief to you. Wait upon the Lord. I pray that this "testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
(James 1:3-4 NASB)