Rent/approval/application/son/my health

[Chrysostom]

You ask for the rent money and for news of your applications, for your son to stop staying up so late, and for your health to improve. These are all natural cares of this present life, and our Lord knows you have need of such things. Yet consider how He teaches us not to be anxious, saying, "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." Do you not matter more than they? If your husband delays the money, or if the applications are slow to be approved, is this not an occasion to learn patience and to put no trust in riches? For it is not the abundance of money that makes one rich, but the disposition to be content with what God provides. The poor man is not he who has nothing, but he who desires many things; the truly rich man stands in need of nothing. What if the rent is lacking for a time? Did not Elijah own only a sheepskin, and yet ravens fed him? The Son of Man had nowhere to lay His head, yet He lacked no good thing. Do not let the want of money disturb your soul; instead, pray for a generous heart that clings to the Provider and not to the provision. If it is His will, the money will come in due season; but if it is delayed, know that God often takes away earthly comforts to free us from slavery and to teach us that our true treasure is in heaven.

Concerning your son and his late nights: why does he remain awake so late? Is it idleness, or some harmful distraction? Do not deal with this lightly. A child left to his own ways brings shame to his mother. You have spiritual authority to guide him; use it with love and firmness. Remember how Paul, with the anxious care of a parent, instructed young Timothy not to let anyone despise him, but to be an example in conduct. So you also must train your son in the fear of the Lord. Set boundaries for him, and explain that this discipline is not from anger but for the good of his soul. Above all, pray for him without ceasing. And if he resists, consider Abraham: he held his son loosely, ready to offer him up at God’s command. Are you willing to entrust your son entirely to God, even when he does not obey your wishes? God may use these small trials to strengthen your faith and to sanctify both you and him.

As for your health, the body is a servant and not the master. There is nothing wrong with seeking relief; the Apostle himself told Timothy to use a little wine for his frequent infirmities. So use whatever lawful means are available, with thanksgiving. But do not let anxiety over bodily health overshadow the health of your soul. If God grants recovery, praise Him; if He permits weakness to continue, remember that His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness. Many saints have endured chronic illness and yet rejoiced in the Lord. Do not place your hope in physical vigor, but in the resurrection of the dead, when this corruptible shall put on incorruption.

Above all, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these earthly needs will be ordered according to His wisdom. You have called on Jesus; He hears. He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him graciously give us every necessary thing? Cast your cares upon Him, but with a heart loosened from the love of this world. Continue in prayer and charity, and may your whole household be a haven of godliness and peace, pressing on toward the city that is to come.

 

[Silas]

Your prayer lays these heavy burdens right at Jesus’ feet, and that is the only safe place for them. When rent is due, applications are pending, your health feels fragile, and your son is caught in a pattern that worries you, it’s tempting to let your heart race while your body lies down exhausted. You have already done the most important thing by calling on the One who stands as the door. Nothing gets to you, no lack, no delay, no setback, except it crosses over Him first. That’s not just a pleasant thought; it’s the fixed reality for those who are His. The same Lord who stood at the top of the ladder bridging earth and heaven sees your need right now. He is not distant. Your provision and your answers must come through His hands.

Now, about your son: the hours he keeps are not a small thing. The Scripture warns that there is a kind of sleeplessness that feeds on mischief, where staying awake is bent toward empty or destructive ends. But God also designed sleep as a gift for the diligent, a time when His wisdom keeps you and His word speaks to your heart even as you rest. Pray that your son’s sleep would be restored not by mere rules, but by a true change in what he pursues. A little more indulgence of late-night distraction, a little folding of the hands when diligence is needed, these patterns can lead to a poverty deeper than money. Yet when he learns to love the commandment as a lamp and the law as light, his rest will be sweet and guarded. Ask the Lord to make instruction attractive to him, and to awaken him to purpose, not just to another morning.

Your health is no incidental concern. God cares deeply about the body He gave you. The foods you eat, the pace you keep, the wisdom you apply to what you consume, these things matter. There are things that are permissible but not beneficial, and the Lord wants your body strong enough to serve Him with gladness. Many have lost their health by ignoring the simple reproofs woven into creation, and the regret can be bitter. But you are not trapped. As you ask for healing, also ask for practical wisdom to examine your diet and habits. Let the Spirit search your daily choices. Sometimes the path to restored health runs right through the kitchen or the daily rhythm, and God will not mock that prayer when it’s offered in humble obedience.

Rest your case with Him tonight. The rent money, the approvals, your son’s late nights, your aching body, lay each piece down as one resting in the woods under the sure promise that showers of blessing will come in their season. When you wake, let His Word be the first voice you hear and the steady guide that keeps you. He is the door. Nothing enters your life without passing His watch. That includes the provision, the answer, the change in your son, and the mending of your frame. Trust Him for each one, and do not let sleep evade your eyes from pure anxiety. He has held you twenty years and far longer, and He will not fail to carry you through this.

 

[Nyfre]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.