Is sickness a blessing?

I like the writing of the Rev J R Miller, he imparts much wisdom and clarifies Biblical questions.

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

I am not sure at all about that! My health of late has not been good and I definitely DO NOT feel it is a blessing. I pray to Jesus for healing and strength and I always feel comfort is given. I want to be well and I believe Jesus heals, He spent His ministry on earth healing people. He wants us to have life abundantly - surely this does not mean suffering?

To me all sickness and disease is bad and frightening. Yes we learn lessons and grow in character by earnest prayer, by leaning on God and trusting Him to heal us. I know many people do live very great productive lives DESPITE awful afflictions. This we may certainly admire and take inspiration from. Certainly we don't learn anything useful during easy good times, adversity is often a time of learning true lessons.

But to call sickness an actual blessing is going too far in my view. Can and should anyone actually welcome illness? I am just not made of such stern stuff!

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

Being sick diminishes your capacity to be the best for God. It inhibits your walk and captivates your thoughts which are opposing to your walk in the resurrection perfection that has been made unto us.

I like the writing of the Rev J R Miller, he imparts much wisdom and clarifies Biblical questions.

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

I am not sure at all about that! My health of late has not been good and I definitely DO NOT feel it is a blessing. I pray to Jesus for healing and strength and I always feel comfort is given. I want to be well and I believe Jesus heals, He spent His ministry on earth healing people. He wants us to have life abundantly - surely this does not mean suffering?

To me all sickness and disease is bad and frightening. Yes we learn lessons and grow in character by earnest prayer, by leaning on God and trusting Him to heal us. I know many people do live very great productive lives DESPITE awful afflictions. This we may certainly admire and take inspiration from. Certainly we don't learn anything useful during easy good times, adversity is often a time of learning true lessons.

But to call sickness an actual blessing is going too far in my view. Can and should anyone actually welcome illness? I am just not made of such stern stuff!

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

being sick might also be used by God as a very powerful witness. you never know.

No doubt God can always turn a lemon into lemonade. God may use situations, but he doesn’t cause us sickness in effort to provide the situations.

I think we all have been sick at one time or another and I have seen sickness at its worst in others. There is not a single person who has suffered from a common cold to ravaging diseases who has thought it a blessing and didn’t want to be whole.

From this life into eternity this is how I want to live Jhn 10:10 … I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)

let me restate that: And we KNOW that God works ALL THINGS together for the good of those who love Him...
do we believe this?

Paul goes on to say:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (v 35)
hmm... doesn't sound "good", does it?

if something comes from our Father's hand, it's good; it's for our good and for His glory.

i will pray for you, that the Lord will heal you. i don't at all wish to convey the idea your suffering isn't very real.
meanwhile, you have the opportunity to rejoice in the Lord always.

Sickness is inextricably linked with sin (psalm 103). Jesus healed everyone who came to Him. Yes, an affliction may be for good, but fatalistic acceptance of illness is not of God.

There was a time when sickness was considered to be always from God. One preacher years ago went to a hospital to pray for a sick man. The patient told him that the sickness was from God. So the preacher wanted to know why the man was being medicated and in hospital being treated. Good question, I thought.

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

Well …. if sickness is a blessing….. does Rev J R Miller want us to pray for him…. that he gets and stays sick… so he can be blessed all the days of his life.

Being sick may be an opportunity to believe God for healing…..but that is as far as I will go. It’s not a blessing it doesn’t make you humble and it’s not from God ….well, not our God ……. it is from the god if this world (age).

Being sick diminishes your capacity to be the best for God. It inhibits your walk and captivates your thoughts which are opposing to your walk in the resurrection perfection that has been made unto us.

I like the writing of the Rev J R Miller, he imparts much wisdom and clarifies Biblical questions.

However, today I read a section in which he maintains that sickness is a blessing for which we should always be grateful.

I am not sure at all about that! My health of late has not been good and I definitely DO NOT feel it is a blessing. I pray to Jesus for healing and strength and I always feel comfort is given. I want to be well and I believe Jesus heals, He spent His ministry on earth healing people. He wants us to have life abundantly - surely this does not mean suffering?

To me all sickness and disease is bad and frightening. Yes we learn lessons and grow in character by earnest prayer, by leaning on God and trusting Him to heal us. I know many people do live very great productive lives DESPITE awful afflictions. This we may certainly admire and take inspiration from. Certainly we don't learn anything useful during easy good times, adversity is often a time of learning true lessons.

But to call sickness an actual blessing is going too far in my view. Can and should anyone actually welcome illness? I am just not made of such stern stuff!

What evidence is in the Bible to say sickness is a blessing? Do you suffer long-standing illness and do you consider it a blessing?

Sickness is the result of sin coming into the world. If it was such a blessing, why did Jesus heal everyone who asked Him for healing? I've had two near fatal illnesses and a chronic debilitating one before that. This is in the last 7 years. The Lord healed me, once by a miracle, the other courtesy of the medical profession. I learned some lessons. I'm 71 and I value my health more than ever. I've not yet run my race, at least as far as I am concerned.

No doubt God can always turn a lemon into lemonade. God may use situations, but he doesn’t cause us sickness in effort to provide the situations.

I think we all have been sick at one time or another and I have seen sickness at its worst in others. There is not a single person who has suffered from a common cold to ravaging diseases who has thought it a blessing and didn’t want to be whole.

From this life into eternity this is how I want to live Jhn 10:10 … I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

What, I wonder, is the purpose of the Book of Job?

The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. .. (Job 1:21b)