God is there for those in despair

Those suffering debilitating illness or a serious injury or a terminal illness go through testing times in life and there is no discrimination as to who diseases afflict - the young and the old, the rich and the poor, different races and different religions. At one time or another we humans are reminded of our mortality and while many recover from their ailments, others either succumb to it or have to live with it for the rest of their lives.

Many of those who are afflicted may initially rebel on why they, out of all, have been affected but gradually whether they fully recover or not there sinks in a realization that after all, we are mortals living in a temporary world where we have to kick the bucket at one time or another. Not a day passes without people dying of accidents, murder, heart attacks, normal sickness or some form of sudden seizure. Death is all around us but rather than fearing death, one is better off facing it through honest and upright living.

Those who are sick can consider this an opportunity to value the seemingly insignificant routine events of each day like the sunrise; the stars in the horizon and time spent with loved ones. Through ailments one is often able to magnify one’s darkest areas under clear glass and commit oneself to renewed living! What many of those who are sick come to realize is that life is often lived like a dress rehearsal instead of being lived as one to serve God. Sickness provides one with an opportunity to seek forgiveness and God has offered his benevolence to sinners as long as they are sincerely repentant.

In Mary Baker Eddy's Science and Health - which sold some nine million copies, she says, “here's my simpler picture of the road to paradise: God is love. Can we ask Him to be more? Should we ask Him to do His own work? His work is done; we have only to avail ourselves of GOD’s RULES in order to receive His blessings. We need to be grateful; His intelligent mind already knows everything else. Outward worship is not sufficient, He has said, 'If you love me, keep my commandments'”…be good, respect your family and others, refrain from adultery, be honest, be sincere, offer charity and so on.

All religions remind us to ask God for forgiveness and to sacrifice our wants, for 'with Him everything is possible'. You ask and receive not because you ask amiss. God is very just. Saints and sinners get their full award, there is no discount in the law of His justice and the measure you meet shall be measured to you again. None can escape the penalty for sin, if we've denied Him, He will deny us also. Prayer, audible and full of petitions alone cannot be the safety valve for wrongdoing. God is not present where sin is. God considers sinners to be an offence to Him and has warned us to be patient in waiting for our reward and not to be weary in well doing'.

Be not weary, even ten years of your misery will go in ten seconds if you are faithful to Him. God's Love is not hasty to deliver us from temptation, for His love means that we shall be tried and purified. Always act as He wishes for there is no power apart from God. Omnipotence has All-Power and to acknowledge any other power is to dishonour God. After all when God can be for us, who can be against us?

Through suffering, mankind can overcome all error and sin by not losing faith in God. It is sad when in one’s suffering, one loses faith because then the path forward becomes miserable while the individual complains to one and all of his ailment and suffering. Doctors have recently publicized the fact that patients with spiritual values have a better chance of recovery than patients who have no faith. The medical practitioners have even recommended that doctors should put in a few minutes of general spiritual talk to their patients not to guide them towards any religion but to make them think of God and the purpose of one’s life in our transitory world.

When we seek God and wait very patiently, He directs our paths. For those who are in despair, let laughter and happiness show on your face, cling on to your belief in His grace and no matter what, just hold on with honour and miracles, like mornings, will come. If they don’t, accept the fact that God desired so in your interest and if God desires so, can it be bad or unfair on any individual? Certainly not.