Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your words show a heart that trusts in Christ, and this is no small thing. When the body suffers and the purse is empty, the soul easily grows weary, and then the tempter whispers, “Curse God and die.” But you have not done this. Instead you cry out, “Amēn, Amēn, Amēn,” laying hold of God’s mercy with both hands. That is the voice of faith, and faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Yet remember what the blessed Job said to his wife when she gave him evil counsel in calamity: “You speak as one of the foolish women.” A wife or a mother can be a great good, but when the time of trial comes, those nearest to us may unwittingly plant seeds of despair. Do not let the fear of debt or the sight of sickness provoke you to impatience. Evil communications corrupt good manners, and the most dangerous conversation is the one we hold within our own heart when it begins to murmur against Providence.
You ask for health and a healthy liver. Make provision for the flesh, yes, but only with a view to health, not to wantonness or luxury. When the apostle says, “Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake,” he teaches us that we care for the body as a servant, not as a master. Seek the physician’s help, eat what is needful, and commit the rest to the Healer who made the liver and knows its every fiber. That same Lord who touched the ear of Malchus and restored it can command a fatty liver to become sound. He did not need to strike, yet He struck to heal; how much more will He stretch out His hand in answer to persistent prayer?
You speak of financial credit and monthly needs, and you confess you have no job. The present life is a dream, and riches often vanish like a vision of the night. But the same God who fed Elijah by the ravens, who multiplied the widow’s jar of oil, still watches over those who turn to Him. Do not measure His love by the balance of coins. Make provision for your needs, but do not let the fear of tomorrow swallow up today. “I was daily with you in the temple, and you did not seize me,” said the Lord to those who came against Him with swords. He who restrained their hands until the appointed hour can restrain your creditors or open a door of honest labor. He asks only that you continue in prayer, without growing bitter, and that you do whatever your hand finds to do as unto Him.
And consider this: you pray for good health and financial stability, and that is lawful. But if you would have your prayers run swiftly to the throne, see whether any root of resentment lies buried in your soil. “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Is there someone against whom you have kept anger? The ways of revengeful men are unto death. A grudge held tightly will choke the very mercy you seek. Even when the insult was great, remember how often you have grieved your Lord, and He has not cast you out. Forgive, and you will receive forgiveness; release the debt of the fellow-servant, and the Master will release yours.
Your father is in heaven. He has only gone before you. The same Father who now holds him holds you and your mother. He has not left you orphans; He has promised to be a Husband to the widow and a Father to the fatherless. So do not walk as those who have no hope, but as those who know that the resurrection morning will dawn. Strengthen your mother by your trust. Speak to her of Job’s end, how the Lord restored double for his trouble. Let your household be a place of holy conversation, not of miserable forecasting.
Continue to pour out your soul in the name of Jesus. Do not cease even when the answer delays. Sometimes the physician must apply ten remedies before the cure appears, yet every prayer is a stroke against the trunk of your trouble, and in God’s time the whole tree will fall. The wound may smart, but it is health that is coming. Do not faint; do not withdraw your hand from the plow. He who has given you the will to ask will not mock you. He will give what is good, in the way that is best, at the hour that is right. May you and your mother walk in that peace which surpasses all understanding, knowing that whether in plenty or in want, you are more than conquerors through Him who loved you.
Yet remember what the blessed Job said to his wife when she gave him evil counsel in calamity: “You speak as one of the foolish women.” A wife or a mother can be a great good, but when the time of trial comes, those nearest to us may unwittingly plant seeds of despair. Do not let the fear of debt or the sight of sickness provoke you to impatience. Evil communications corrupt good manners, and the most dangerous conversation is the one we hold within our own heart when it begins to murmur against Providence.
You ask for health and a healthy liver. Make provision for the flesh, yes, but only with a view to health, not to wantonness or luxury. When the apostle says, “Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake,” he teaches us that we care for the body as a servant, not as a master. Seek the physician’s help, eat what is needful, and commit the rest to the Healer who made the liver and knows its every fiber. That same Lord who touched the ear of Malchus and restored it can command a fatty liver to become sound. He did not need to strike, yet He struck to heal; how much more will He stretch out His hand in answer to persistent prayer?
You speak of financial credit and monthly needs, and you confess you have no job. The present life is a dream, and riches often vanish like a vision of the night. But the same God who fed Elijah by the ravens, who multiplied the widow’s jar of oil, still watches over those who turn to Him. Do not measure His love by the balance of coins. Make provision for your needs, but do not let the fear of tomorrow swallow up today. “I was daily with you in the temple, and you did not seize me,” said the Lord to those who came against Him with swords. He who restrained their hands until the appointed hour can restrain your creditors or open a door of honest labor. He asks only that you continue in prayer, without growing bitter, and that you do whatever your hand finds to do as unto Him.
And consider this: you pray for good health and financial stability, and that is lawful. But if you would have your prayers run swiftly to the throne, see whether any root of resentment lies buried in your soil. “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Is there someone against whom you have kept anger? The ways of revengeful men are unto death. A grudge held tightly will choke the very mercy you seek. Even when the insult was great, remember how often you have grieved your Lord, and He has not cast you out. Forgive, and you will receive forgiveness; release the debt of the fellow-servant, and the Master will release yours.
Your father is in heaven. He has only gone before you. The same Father who now holds him holds you and your mother. He has not left you orphans; He has promised to be a Husband to the widow and a Father to the fatherless. So do not walk as those who have no hope, but as those who know that the resurrection morning will dawn. Strengthen your mother by your trust. Speak to her of Job’s end, how the Lord restored double for his trouble. Let your household be a place of holy conversation, not of miserable forecasting.
Continue to pour out your soul in the name of Jesus. Do not cease even when the answer delays. Sometimes the physician must apply ten remedies before the cure appears, yet every prayer is a stroke against the trunk of your trouble, and in God’s time the whole tree will fall. The wound may smart, but it is health that is coming. Do not faint; do not withdraw your hand from the plow. He who has given you the will to ask will not mock you. He will give what is good, in the way that is best, at the hour that is right. May you and your mother walk in that peace which surpasses all understanding, knowing that whether in plenty or in want, you are more than conquerors through Him who loved you.
