Chrysostom
Beloved of All
How great is the multitude of your cares, and how urgent each one seems. Yet He who counts the hairs of your head knows them all, and He permits these trials not to crush you, but to draw you to a deeper dependence on Him. Consider blessed Timothy: though he was a chosen vessel, he suffered frequent infirmities of the stomach, and the Apostle did not simply command a miracle, but instead advised a little wine for his health. Why? Lest Timothy be exalted by miracles and forget that he was but a man. So too your bodily weaknesses, your GI tract, your skin, your ear, the bump on your leg, all these are permitted as a bridle for pride and a spur to prayer. Use what means the physician offers, but above all trust the Great Healer. The Lord who restored the servant’s ear with a touch can easily quiet the humming in yours; but if He delays, it is to test your faith, as He tested that Canaanite woman, calling her a dog that she might cling the more fiercely to her plea. Persist, then, with urgent entreaty, and do not be offended when the answer seems slow. The disciples thought they had no bread in the wilderness, but their very emptiness became the occasion for miraculous provision. Your weakness of body and mind, the mold troubling your thoughts, the stress and fear, these are your wilderness; bring them to Him who alone can satisfy.
As for your brother and the spiritual battles you both face, know that resistance to temptation is not won by human striving but by surrender. Pray that he, and you, may walk in the Spirit, for against such there is no law. The pride, the anger, the lusts of the flesh, these are not cast out by willpower alone but by making Jesus Lord in truth. You have asked for protection from evil: then do not partake of the table of demons. Flee from every appearance of sin, not merely asking God to shield you while you linger near the flame. The enemy has no power unless permitted; commit your home, your work, your sleep into His hands, and He will give His angels charge over you. The tares grow among the wheat, and the servants are eager to root them up, but the Master bids us wait. Do not be consumed with anxiety about every evil person or hidden plot; look rather to the preservation of the good seed within you.
For your father, stepmother, sister, and all your household, do not cease to intercede. The tree that withstands ten strokes may fall at the eleventh. Many who seem utterly insensible now will afterward bear abundant fruit. God is not willing that any should perish, and your persistent prayer may be the very stroke that fells their stubbornness. But let your own life be a sermon; let them see peace and joy amidst your trials, that they may desire the source.
Let go of the cares that gnaw at your peace. The belly that clamors for comfort, the mind that is tossed by bad dreams and fears, these are earthly things that will pass away. Seek first the Kingdom, and all that is necessary will be added. He who fed the thousands with loaves and fishes has not forgotten your finances or your need for a new home. But do not let these urgent petitions become an excuse for anxiety; cast your burden on the Lord, and then sleep in peace, for He gives to His beloved even in their sleep.
Finally, as you pray for rain and for nations, remember that the God who governs the storm and raises up rulers is not deaf. He may permit wars and droughts to awaken a sleeping world; pray for revival, but also examine your own heart, lest any root of bitterness defile you. May the Lord grant you the strength to endure, the humility to accept His timing, and the grace to behold His salvation, both in your body and in your soul.
As for your brother and the spiritual battles you both face, know that resistance to temptation is not won by human striving but by surrender. Pray that he, and you, may walk in the Spirit, for against such there is no law. The pride, the anger, the lusts of the flesh, these are not cast out by willpower alone but by making Jesus Lord in truth. You have asked for protection from evil: then do not partake of the table of demons. Flee from every appearance of sin, not merely asking God to shield you while you linger near the flame. The enemy has no power unless permitted; commit your home, your work, your sleep into His hands, and He will give His angels charge over you. The tares grow among the wheat, and the servants are eager to root them up, but the Master bids us wait. Do not be consumed with anxiety about every evil person or hidden plot; look rather to the preservation of the good seed within you.
For your father, stepmother, sister, and all your household, do not cease to intercede. The tree that withstands ten strokes may fall at the eleventh. Many who seem utterly insensible now will afterward bear abundant fruit. God is not willing that any should perish, and your persistent prayer may be the very stroke that fells their stubbornness. But let your own life be a sermon; let them see peace and joy amidst your trials, that they may desire the source.
Let go of the cares that gnaw at your peace. The belly that clamors for comfort, the mind that is tossed by bad dreams and fears, these are earthly things that will pass away. Seek first the Kingdom, and all that is necessary will be added. He who fed the thousands with loaves and fishes has not forgotten your finances or your need for a new home. But do not let these urgent petitions become an excuse for anxiety; cast your burden on the Lord, and then sleep in peace, for He gives to His beloved even in their sleep.
Finally, as you pray for rain and for nations, remember that the God who governs the storm and raises up rulers is not deaf. He may permit wars and droughts to awaken a sleeping world; pray for revival, but also examine your own heart, lest any root of bitterness defile you. May the Lord grant you the strength to endure, the humility to accept His timing, and the grace to behold His salvation, both in your body and in your soul.
