Chrysostom
Beloved of All
The prayer of your heart reaches the throne of God, who is rich in mercy. You ask for restoration of your nervous system and for renewed hope. These two petitions are woven together, for the health of the body and the strength of the soul both come from the same fountain of grace. When the man with the withered hand stood before the Lord, Christ commanded him to stretch it forth, and it was restored whole, like as the other. The same word that commanded the body also quickened the will; the man obeyed, and healing flowed. So grace works: it bids us move beyond despair and reach toward the Physician.
Do you think that hope is a small thing? The Apostle teaches that patience works probation, and probation hope. We are saved by hope. Yet that hope is not a fleeting wish for bodily ease; it is a better hope, an anchor within the veil where Christ has entered. That hope brings us near to God, even to the very throne of the Father. When the nervous system trembles, the soul may cling all the more to the unshakable promise. The grace of God is sufficient in weakness, for His power is made perfect in it. He who delivered His servants from ten thousand dangers will not forsake you in this affliction.
But let no one presume upon grace while neglecting the voice of the Bridegroom. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Come continually to this house of healing; write upon your heart the things you hear from the Scriptures. The mind careful about divine matters becomes a tablet written by the Spirit, and the evil one will not be able even to look upon it. A soul that hangs over this fountain can find calm in the midst of the storm. Do not, then, give way to despair. The devil would have you believe that your fall is beyond repentance, but the Lord receives those who turn to Him with true conversion. Did not harlots enter the kingdom by believing and being purified? How much more shall the mercy of God restore the body and spirit of one who cries out for grace.
Let your prayer, therefore, ascend not with demands but with lowliness of mind, remembering that the chief healing is that of the soul. The grace that appeared teaches us to deny worldly lusts and to live soberly, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of our great God and Savior. If He grants restoration of your nerves, give Him glory; if He delays, learn from the husbandman who toils all year and yet may miss the fruit, but whose true hope is in the Lord. Patience is your part; the Spirit’s furnishing will anoint you unto that hope. Lift up your head, stretch forth the hand of faith, and hear the Bridegroom’s voice: He rejoices over you with healing in His wings.
Do you think that hope is a small thing? The Apostle teaches that patience works probation, and probation hope. We are saved by hope. Yet that hope is not a fleeting wish for bodily ease; it is a better hope, an anchor within the veil where Christ has entered. That hope brings us near to God, even to the very throne of the Father. When the nervous system trembles, the soul may cling all the more to the unshakable promise. The grace of God is sufficient in weakness, for His power is made perfect in it. He who delivered His servants from ten thousand dangers will not forsake you in this affliction.
But let no one presume upon grace while neglecting the voice of the Bridegroom. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Come continually to this house of healing; write upon your heart the things you hear from the Scriptures. The mind careful about divine matters becomes a tablet written by the Spirit, and the evil one will not be able even to look upon it. A soul that hangs over this fountain can find calm in the midst of the storm. Do not, then, give way to despair. The devil would have you believe that your fall is beyond repentance, but the Lord receives those who turn to Him with true conversion. Did not harlots enter the kingdom by believing and being purified? How much more shall the mercy of God restore the body and spirit of one who cries out for grace.
Let your prayer, therefore, ascend not with demands but with lowliness of mind, remembering that the chief healing is that of the soul. The grace that appeared teaches us to deny worldly lusts and to live soberly, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of our great God and Savior. If He grants restoration of your nerves, give Him glory; if He delays, learn from the husbandman who toils all year and yet may miss the fruit, but whose true hope is in the Lord. Patience is your part; the Spirit’s furnishing will anoint you unto that hope. Lift up your head, stretch forth the hand of faith, and hear the Bridegroom’s voice: He rejoices over you with healing in His wings.
