You have laid many things before the Lord, and I can see how the cares press in upon you like a crowd in a narrow street. Your heart runs from one dear name to the next, from the sick to the struggling, from the children to the young mother in her confusion, and you wonder how so many needs can ever be met. It is no small thing to carry so many souls upon your spirit, and yet you have done the wisest thing possible, you have spread them all out before the throne and pleaded the blood of Jesus over them.
And underneath every petition, like bedrock beneath a house, you have set down those strong words: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Mark that little word “all.” It does not say “in the pleasant things” or “in the things we would have chosen.” It says all things, the thronging duties, the unspoken burdens, the medical troubles of those you named, the strained family ties, the child you long to see walking in the truth. Not one of these is outside the circle of that promise. The Weaver has every thread in hand, and though the pattern looks tangled on the underside, the upper side is already glorious.
And do you think His face is turned away from you in all this? No, it is the very opposite. Long before you breathed a single prayer, His heart had gone out toward you. The Son of God was overcome by love for His own, He looked upon us in our ruin and could not remain content in heaven. Down He came to this low earth, not with a rod of vengeance but with healing in His wings. That is the whole bent of His nature: He does not come to break the bruised reed but to bind it up. The power of the Lord is present to heal. Let that truth settle into every part of your plea. For the body, for the mind, for the tangled relationships, for the spiritual confusion, He is the great Physician, and His surgery is always kind.
Now, when a man is completely paralyzed and cannot stir hand or foot, he is in a poor case to help himself. But the four who carried him to Jesus had faith enough to tear up the roof and let him down into the very presence of the Lord. And what was the first word Christ spoke to that poor motionless soul? “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” Forgiveness first, then healing. That is the order. And if you have tasted that forgiveness, dear heart, then you already have the deepest healing secured. Every other mercy will follow in its proper season.
You asked that evil might be overcome by good. That is exactly the weapon our Captain has placed in our hands. He does not ask us to fight fire with fire, or to repay unkindness with unkindness. He gives us the soft but invincible weapon of good. And this is not a feeble thing, no, it is the power by which Christ Himself overcame the world. When you return a sharp word with a gentle one, when you pray for those who have wounded you, when you keep loving where love is not returned, you are swinging the one sword that cannot be broken. And the Lord will see to it that the victory comes, often in ways you would never guess.
And about that press of duties, all those good things you want to do, all the prayers you want to offer, all the people you ache to help. It is not the crowded hours that rob your peace; it is the secret fear that you must do it all, and do it perfectly, and do it now. But the rest of the soul lies just here: to do the will of Jesus. That is the quiet harbor. What He has given you to do, do with a glad heart. What you cannot do, leave with Him, for your duty does not lie in the region of the impossible. A little child cannot lift a great boulder, but he can trust his father to lift it for him. You are that child.
So let me pray with you in the midst of all these things, just as we would speak to a Father who is very near.
Lord Jesus, faithful and true, we bring this dear one into Your presence now. You see every name written on the heart, every unspoken need, every flicker of hope and every stab of fear. Cover each soul with the peace that passes understanding. Draw the children near to see themselves as You see them, loved, chosen, precious. Grant healing and strength to the sick, and quiet the troubled waters of family life. For the young mother groping through confusion, break in with clear light and steady provision for her and her little one. For the sister who wearies in well-doing, renew her strength like the eagle’s. And in every place where evil seems to have the upper hand, arise and overcome it with Your invincible goodness. We praise You for the prayers You have already answered, for the goodness that has followed us all our days. And we leave here resting on Your promise, that he who began a good work will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Amen.