The happiness you long to see in ###, the laughter you ache to hear again, these are not trifles to your heavenly Father. Much or little must depend upon the way in which you look upon it, and what to the believer is enough might be to the worldling a mere pittance because grace has not trained his mind to rejoice in the will of the Lord. The soul that has felt the weight of sin and has gotten rid of that weight by coming to the pardoning God finds a wellspring of joy that earthly sorrows cannot wholly choke. Yet while we are in this body we groan, though we have the first fruits of the Spirit, for we are in a creation which together groans and travails in pain until now. ###’s long trial, and yours in watching him, are part of that groaning, but they are not the final word.
The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. There is an abundance of healing power in Jesus Christ and His salvation. Not only is His fruit sweet and nourishing, but the leaves, the very least things about Christ, are full of healing virtue. These healing leaves change the life blood, affect the spirits, and make the nature other than it was before. When Jesus healed the sick of the palsy, He said to him, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” Pardon and healing were one! Oftentimes when, by some sickness, a sufferer is brought low, his cure is much helped by that nearness to Christ which brings peace to the conscience. The pardon of sin brings true happiness, a happiness that does not depend upon the mending of the body but upon the assurance of God’s favour. If you have but partly trusted and partly communed, your happiness may well be shallow, but when the Lord comes and dwells with His own, the Sun of Righteousness rises with healing in His wings.
Go often to the mercy seat; some people only pray if they are in a good frame of mind, but we ought to pray to get ourselves into a good frame of mind. That is what David did, he improved as he went on. Bring ### again and again, in the arms of your faith, into the presence of Jesus. He used no other remedy in healing our sin-sickness but that of taking our sicknesses and infirmities upon Himself. Blessed be the Son of God that the medicine, bitter as it is, was not for us to drink, but was all drained by Himself! Look upon your Saviour bearing that weight; look upon what the Father sees in Jesus on the cross. He made such an infinite impression upon the great soul of God that He forgets the sins for which His Son gave His life, and with them, in due time, He will swallow up all their consequences. Today the body is dead because of sin, though the spirit is life because of righteousness; the regeneration of the body takes place at the resurrection, when it will be raised in power.
Until that day, do not despise the chastened happiness that can coexist with sorrow; to my mind, there is no temptation so bad as not being tempted at all. ###’s suffering and your longing are the very soil in which faith’s flowers grow. Wait on the Lord, for they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit, and to be spiritually minded is life and peace. That mind with which we are all born is enmity against God, but when He gives a tender conscience, a willing mind, a yielding spirit, even in a frail body, there is a foretaste of heaven. Yonder, those faces which look so bright and comely, fresher than newborn babes, owe their freshness to these healing leaves! There the same glory will be revealed, the same happiness bestowed, the same fellowship enjoyed, and no inhabitant will say, “I am sick.”
Commit ### to the great Healer, saying, “If it be His will.” He is too wise to err, too good to be unkind. Change your mind about the woe and hate the despair that would make you doubt His love. Then you shall discover that He who forgives all your iniquities also heals all your diseases. May the Lord grant you soon to hear that laughter which will echo not only ###’s restored joy but your own. God bless you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. 
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
