Beloved Brethren In Christ,

My comfort comes from God via Hymns and Psalms that come to mind. As I struggle with physical and mental pain, God's Word comes alive in my mind & heart. I usually don't recall the Scripture citation (chap. & verse#) but knowing God's Promise is present really refreshes my soul!

Often I repeat the Biblical promise as I search for the Scripture. Sometimes the context is not additionally comforting but I am always glad to see the fullness of His Word!

I am new to this message board. I hope that we can encourage each other and avoid sectarian division.

At this wee hour, I am afflicted in flesh with a dermatologic problem that has flared within the last few hours. I have been on meds for clinical depression since 1981. Current meds are pretty lame.

As always hope in God!!! He is our healer!!! Meds can be Ok but they have "let-downs" like the past several months for me, but I still use them as directed.

I have a testimony of praise:
In my mid thirties, I had an early onset of severe osteo-arthritis. Doctors insisted I get total knee replacements ASAP. I had 2 part-time jobs but no savings nor health insur. So I limped worse and worse as years went on. In the eleventh year of my affliction, I started a series of falls due to my wrists and hands losing strength from years of leaning so heavily on canes. It seemed as if a wheelchair was next for me.
I was driving to church service (40 miles from dwelling) and I had difficulty staying in lane as grip weakened. Brethren who saw my poor driving on highway met me at church parking lot and helped me get to Pastor.

As we all told Pastor of my problem he bowed his head and prayed quietly. Like many times in prev. yrs., I received an anointing as James 5 : 14f gives. { Is 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. v15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. v16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.}

I sobbed thru that 2 hour service thinking no healing had come.
I got back to the house exhausted physically and emotionally. Went to sleep early. I woke around daybreak and felt the same as usual. Took a Bible in bed and decided to read some Gospel verses. After brief prayer for guidance in this reading I began at
Luke 18v15. After a few minutes, my tired eyes seemed to strain at the Words of Christ in red ink.
I prayed for strength but began to blink rapidly.
As I tried of continue reading. The page blurred but I saw " you are healed" come from the page and grow larger as remaining words stayed blurry. Knowing that I had not read this phrase I closed my Bible and my eyes and prayed that I not be deceived. Thanking God for the exact text in my hands, I reopened to the same page and affirmed that "you are healed" did not appear in this NKJV page of Luke 18. Healing of Bar-Timaeus is in v 35 ff, but not the phrase as I saw it.

As I thought to look for the word healed in a Bible Concordadance, I saw "you are healed" again coming from the now blurry page of Lk18. This time I cast myself onto the floor and praised God for the gift of healing. After a few minutes I felt cold and crawled under the covers again. It was about 7:30 am and it was still quiet in house. I thought of sleeping a little more when I realized that my knees had no pain despite my kneeling on the floor. I arose and walked without my canes and still no pain. I went to the fridge and found I could lift cold and heavy items that I could not budge the days prior.

I have been walking without cane(s) for years now. By His Grace and the Stripes borne by Christ our Lord,
I am healed of arthritis. Doctors scoff but say my xrays now show no damage in my knees!

Blessed be our God!

The wicked inflamation that got me out of bed a few hours ago is abating but some sores are still visible and tender to touch. I believe when it is for His Glory they will be gone like the arthritis!!!
I believe His Gift of "Sound mind" will always triumph over the nasty vestiges of clinical depression!!!

Sorry for the long 'post'.

In Christ's Peace, Shalom
john

Hi everyone! Welcome Brother John.

I just now realized I did not reply to the topic. I have been sick with a cold and that really doesn't help me mentally, when I am congested and with headaches.

My #1 comfort is the book Psalms. I really can relate to David in his songs/prayers. I definitely feel closer to God in his word and in prayer to Him

My #2 comfort is someone who can relate to me with my depression. It is always so nice to talk to someone about it. The more talk about it, the more I can deal with it.

Thank you all for sharing your comforts this week. Let's continue to share, the week is not over.

Hi Sarita,

I know what you mean about your #2 comfort...until this year, I had never talked personally with another Christian openly about depression as a medical illness. I have been able to talk with a woman in my church and the wife of my boss at my former job (who are both Christians) who understand. What a gift my conversation with these women was. I have talked a bit with two others at church who I believe also struggle.

Before that, I found support from a wonderful non-Christian woman who I worked with.

Actually, I have felt support from even those who do not struggle with this illness....which is a blessing (and have also been ridiculed by others as well...)

Other comforts to me are a good doctor who shares my faith and listens to me...taking the time to answer all my questions, massage therapy,(from a therapist, or caring husband or friend!), suntanning or sun lamps (during the winter where I am where there is less sunlight per day than in the summer), stopping perfectionistic/ unrealistically anxious thoughts, and marriage counselling.

Well...that's more than two comforts, but really I've tried many things...but really getting to know God more has been most helpful.

Also, I'd like to join Sarita in welcoming you, Brother John!

Persevere everyone (don't give up!),
Laurie

dear Brethren in Christ,

Thanks for your welcoming and encouragement!

Shalom, God's Peace that passes all our understanding be with you.

bro. john

The Psalms have always been a huge comfort for me as well. As well as the few people I could talk to about what was going on without them dismissing it as a lack of faith in God or something - they only made me feel worse about everything.

Dear Brethren in Christ,
Thorns in the flesh persist and have kept me from posting.

As ever, I hope in the healing purchased by Christ's stripes will become manifest in our earthly days as well as in His Eternal Kingdom!!!

As for a weekly topic, perhaps request for fav. Bible verses on a topic like Deliverance or Healing or whatever topic seems most fiitting for us keeping the faith in spite of afflictions?

Shalom,
john

Gospel JN 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. v.38 Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Beloved Brethren in Christ,

The gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can empower each of us to let "living water" flow out from us. Sharing Biblical Truth with each other and those yet to believe in Christ can 'refresh' weary souls.
The world's media can take up space but not point us to the source of healing: Our Lord Jesus the Christ!!!

No matter the physical afflictions, we have opportunities to share the Acts 3:19 "times of refreshing" from Our Lord. Anytime we help renew faith and certain hope in Jesus, we are refreshing sisters and brothers in their earthly journey. Rather than allowing your encouraging work be pigeon-holed as 'preaching to the choir', rejoice that you serve the brethren Christ redeemed!

Though I may ramble in this wee hour, surely the Goodness and Truth from the Bible can be a refreshing for one willing to receive His Gifts!

Shalom
John

Brother John,

Thanks so much for your part on this message board.

Those are some good ideas on the topic of the week. I will sure be posting them.

How are you doing? Hope the Enemy doesn't keep you away to long. Keep drinking the Living Water!

God Bless,
Sarita