His Healing Touch, Part 8

Leslie Basham: On TV sitcoms, problems usually get solved within half an hour. That sure doesn't resemble life. Here's Nancy DeMoss.

Nancy DeMoss: And God says, "Yep, right there. I will be with you." He says to you, "My grace is sufficient for you." He didn't say, "My grace will take all your problems away." In fact, those very problems are what God is using to fulfill in us what we really want, and that is to be like Jesus. They are what is shaping and molding and honing and refining and purging. It's the problems. So why should we resent or resist or run from the very things that God is using to make us like Jesus? We want the outcome, but we don't want the process to get there. God's grace is sufficient.

Leslie Basham: It's Wednesday, March 13; and you're listening to Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss. Sometimes problems just don't seem to go away, no matter what we do. Today we'll learn where we can turn for perseverance.

We're in a series called His Healing Touch. Bob Lepine, the co-host of FamilyLife Today has joined us over the last few days, leading some question-and-answer time with Nancy on the subject of physical healing. Let's join Bob and Nancy.

Bob Lepine: The woman in Mark 5 who had the issue of blood, she'd had it for 12 years. I'm sure there were mornings she woke up and said, "I cannot bear this again today." It had become the defining issue of her life. Everything must have revolved around this issue.

As you've taught on this subject, you've talked about not only the physical afflictions but also many of the emotional afflictions that women have dealt with for long periods of time, maybe (are) still dealing with--relational issues, circumstances--where they get up day after day and go, "I don't know if I can make it through today." You've talked to these women who say, "I've confessed, I've prayed, I've cried. I've told friends. I've done everything I know to do. How do I, practically, get the strength for today as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death?"

Nancy DeMoss: Let me remind us first that it is possible to be spiritually well, spiritually whole, and still live in the midst of circumstances that are extremely difficult, extremely painful--and that may not change anytime soon. A woman who lives with an unbelieving husband, who has no respect for her faith, who puts her down, who is verbally demeaning--and it goes on and on and on and on. A woman living with the issue of a wayward child, a son or daughter, who's far from the Lord--that pain, even though the child may be away from home, that child's not away from that mother's heart. Some of you have walked through or are walking through right now, that kind of circumstance.

But in the midst of those circumstances it is possible to still have intact a relationship with God whereby you are whole and you are able to have a right conscience toward God, to be rightly related to Him--and, could I say this, to walk in joy in the midst of the pain.

Jean knows what I'm talking about. You've been there, Jean. You've seen the pain and the loss--some of it because of your sin, some of it because of the sin of others, things over which you had no control. But you've learned. You're learning how to walk as a whole woman in the midst of that circumstance.

Here's another encouraging reminder. It's encouraging to me, and I think it should be to all of us. And that is that our suffering is not forever. There will be an end. God will right all wrongs. Every knee will bow, of the most unrepentant mate or child or parent or friend. All things will be made right in the end. He's a redeeming God. He's redeeming our circumstances. We just can't see the whole picture right now. We can't see the end right now; we have to take that by faith.

When you say, "I can't go on. This is going on forever." Remember, this is not forever. Nothing in this life is forever. Paul says in the Book of Romans, "I'm convinced that our sufferings of this present time are nothing compared to the glory which will be revealed in us." There will be an end. There will be redemption. There will be restoration of those broken, messed up, frazzled pieces around us--some of it things that we were responsible for; some of it things that had been circumstances utterly outside of our own control.

Then remember this, that in the midst of the fire, in the midst of the valley, there walks One with you whose presence is enough. Those three Hebrew young men who were cast into the fiery furnace for their faith, their refusal to bend the knee to the wicked king's edict--they knew it might cost them their lives. They said, "Oh, King, we're going to submit to God, and He's able to deliver us. He may; but if He doesn't, we still won't bow to your image." For taking that stand, they were cast into a real furnace, with a real fire that was heated up very hot.

They went into the fire. Some of you are in the fire. If you know the story, you'll remember that there went into that fire with them a fourth Man, the Son of God. Those men never got closer to Jesus than they did when they were in the middle of that fiery furnace. That's why the psalmist could say, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me."

You say, "Well, that's nice for him in that valley; but I'm living here in this life, in this home, with this man, with this circumstance, with this situation in my workplace." And God says, "Yep, right there. I will be with you."

He says to you as He does to me, "My grace is sufficient for you." He didn't say, "My grace will take all your problems away." In fact, those very problems are what God is using to fulfill in us what we really want, and that is to be like Jesus. That's what's shaping and molding and honing and refining and purging. It's the problems--so why should we resent or resist or run from the very things that God is using to make us like Jesus? We want the outcome, but we don't want the process to get there.

God's grace is sufficient--not to take away all the problems. That's not the promise that He gives, but He does say, "In the midst of the problems, I will be with you. I will meet your needs. I will be enough for you." That's when we have to, even though sometimes our eyes are filled with tears, to lift our eyes upward and say, "Oh, God, by faith I believe that Your grace is sufficient for me for this moment, for this circumstance, for this situation, and that--hurt as it may, painful as it may be--I believe there is grace for this."

In some of my most desperate moments, something I do that is very helpful is to look back. I kind of step out of my situation for a moment and look back on previous years and previous circumstances and situations that I thought were helpless or desperate then. I look back and reflect on how God walked me through it and on how He met my needs in the midst of that situation.

Then I step back into current situation; and I say, "Lord, You've been faithful all these years"--for me now, almost 40 years of walking with the Lord. I can look back and I can truly say in the most desperate and painful situations, God has always been there. I look back; I rehearse it. I remind myself, and I remind Him.

I say, "Lord, You have been faithful to me every day, every moment, of these years. There are some things I still don't understand. There are some pieces I still haven't put together, some dots I still can't connect; but I do know that You've been faithful. I know that You've been faithful to every child of Yours in all of history, in every circumstance, in every situation, in every part of the world.

"Now, I really don't think that this is the moment--and I'm the person, and this is the circumstance in which, for the first time in the history of the world--You're not going to come through. You've been faithful. And I now accept by faith, I thank You by faith, that in spite of the pain, in spite of the endurance race this has become, that You're going to get me through this. And (You will) not just get me through it but bring me out on the other side into a broad place, a place of abundance and plenty--that out of the woundedness, out of the brokenness comes life and wholeness and grace and wonder and beauty."

Then we look back--as we will a moment or two from now, in light of eternity when we see Him. We'll look back over all this whole pilgrimage, the things we had to endure; and the things we thought we couldn't endure. We'll look back and we'll say, "Lord, You did all things well." And we will worship Him for the very things that now we struggle to accept.

It's a walk of faith; sight comes later. Prayer comes now. Faith comes now; and we praise by faith, believing that in the final outcome we will know that He has done all things well.

Leslie Basham: That's Nancy DeMoss helping us understand how we can align our thinking to God's truth. Nancy will be right back with a special message, but first let me tell you how to get a copy of Nancy's teaching. Today's program wraps up a series called His Healing Touch. It's an in-depth study of Mark 5, and the woman who was healed when she touched the hem of Jesus' garment. The entire series comes on two cassettes for a suggested donation of $8. To order, you can give us a call at 1-800-569-5959. You can also order from our Web site, ReviveOurHearts.com.

Now there's a group of people that we'd like to thank today. There are those who have made a financial contribution to this ministry. Your gift has helped allow women across the country to hear timely words as they face struggles today. If you've never made a donation, would you consider partnering with us? We rely on the support of our listeners and appreciate your help. You can mail your contribution to Revive Our Hearts.

Sometimes being a mom can be discouraging. Does it seem like you exhaust yourself with nothing to show for it at the end of the day? We hope you can join us tomorrow for some encouragement. We'll start a new series on the importance of investing in the next generation.

Now again, here's Nancy. We've invited her into the studio to share a special message from her heart.

Nancy DeMoss: You've heard us say from time to time that Revive Our Hearts is a listener-supported program. You may be wondering exactly what that means. It means first of all that we're supported by the prayers of God's people. And I can't tell you how important and encouraging your prayers are--to know that you're praying--I'm so thankful for those who've written to me and sent e-mails and even left voice mails, and said, "I just want you to know that I pray for the ministry of Revive Our Hearts."

If Revive Our Hearts in any way is making a difference in your life, would you write today and let us know? Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for your encouraging notes and letters. Thank you for your financial support as we serve together and invest together in this ministry. I believe God is going to grant the desire of our hearts, that we really will experience revival in our day. 

Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss is a ministry partnership of Life Action Ministries.

*Offers available only during the broadcast of the podcast season.