694 The Spiritual Man
man holy, but its lesson if accepted produces holiness. Some grow
worse spiritually during illness; they become more self-centered.
That is why one must discover the lesson in such a period. What
profit or fruit can be derived from it? Is the hand of God upon me to
keep me humble as He did with Paul, “to keep me from being too
elated by the abundance of revelations” (2 Cor. 12.7)? Or is it
because God desires to weaken my tubborn individuality? What is
the use of sickness if it does not provoke me to learn the lesson of
weakness? Many are sick in vain because they never accept the
Lord’s dealing with their particular problems.
Do not look upon sickness as something terrible. In whose hand is
this knife? Remember that it is in God’s hand. Why should we be
anxious over our infirmity as though it were the hand of the enemy?
Know that God has measured out all our sickness. To be sure, Satan
is the originator of them; it is he who makes people ill. Yet all who
have read the Book of job realize that this is only through God’s
permission and is completely under the restriction of God. Without
God’s permission Satan cannot make anyone sick. God permitted job
to be attacked with ill-health, but note that He did not allow the
enemy to touch his life. Why then are we so agitated, so full of
despair, so anxious to be cured, so afraid we will die when we are
struck down with ill-health?
It is always well for us to bear in mind that all sickness is in God’s
hand. It has been both measured and circumscribed by Him. After
job had fulfilled the course of his trial his sickness was over, for it
had accomplished its purpose in him—“Ye have heard of the
patience of job, and have seen the end (purpose) of the Lord, how
that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful” (James 5.11 ASV). What a
shame that so many are ill without realizing its purpose or learning
its lesson. All infirmities are in the Lord’s hand and are measured out
to us that we may learn our lessons. The sooner we learn them the
quicker these infirmities pass away.