Is sickness a blessing?

God took credit for afflicting Job, a man God commended to the devil for being a good man.

I didn't look at all 10 pages of this thread so someone likely already pointed this out, but I'll say it anyway. What about Paul and his "thorn in the flesh"? He prayed 3 times for God to remove it, and what was God's answer? "My grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness." Then Paul said he'd GLORY in his INFIRMITIES. Wow. That's faith if you ask me.

That was a physical disability. It must have been very annoying. But God allowed it to remain. At the same time, Paul was never sick, even though he constantly traveled all over the Roman empire.

I'm not remembering where it says Paul was never sick, could you reference that for me?

The devil afflicted Job. He asked permission from God to do so because he was out to prove that Job would turn against God when trouble came. And trouble came by the truckload but Job did not turn on God.

You know, I cannot expect a person to really understand the principals being discussed in this thread, while they do not even understand what happened in the book of Job.

The Bible does not say "Paul was never sick". It simply does not report any time when Paul was actually laid low with sickness. So I cannot prove a negative.

I base my views on verses like this:

Job 2:3
And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Okay, thanks.

You need to go back and read the Context of 2 Corinthians 12 ------this tells you a lot of Paul's thorn in his side -----

God took Paul to the 3rd heaven and Gave Him some information that was not to be known by others ----so to keep Paul from being puffed up God Allowed Satan to harass Paul -------

verse 7 says this ----- Therefore,[g] so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble[h] me—so that I would not become arrogant.

Paul wasn't sick ----he was troubled -----by Satan ------Paul Healed people -----as did all the Disciples ----they were never sick -----and neither was Jesus ------Sin caused sickness and disease in the Old testament ---Jesus took all sin for all people ---so now without Jesus your sins are not Forgiven -----you a Sinner still and prone to Sickness and disease ----Born Again People can still get sick if they allow the cares of this world to invade their peace ---stress ---anxiety ---fear ----doubt ---unbelief of what Jesus did on the Cross --etc -----

The scriptures clearly state that Jesus took all Disease and Sicknesses with Him on the Cross so that His Children could have wellness and wholeness in their lives to serve Him -----you cannot serve others when you are at home Sick ------not one of the Disciples were ever laid up with sickness or disease so they couldn't do God's work -------

SOZO -is Salvation ----I say ------If your sick your not healed -----and if your sick your not whole ----which goes against what Jesus did on the Cross -----

Strong's #4982: sozo (pronounced sode'-zo)
from a primary sos (contraction for obsolete saos, "safe"); to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):--heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
sōzō

1) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction
1a) one (from injury or peril)

1a1) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health

1b1) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue

1b) to save in the technical biblical sense

1b1) negatively
1b1a) to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment

1b1b) to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance

I say -----You either believe this or you don't -----

Matthew 8:17
New American Standard Bible
This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR ILLNESSES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.”

Proverbs 4:20-23
Thank you .

Job 3:25
"For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me."

Job spent the next year defending himself and complaining about his lot. When God answered his prayer and talked to Job, Job had nothing to say. God did not explain Himself to Job. Job was convicted and repented:
Job 42: 2-4
“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall inform Me.’ My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”

Lamentations 3:32-33

That statement has nothing to do with why God allowed Satan to inflict JOB ----

The Scripture tells you why God allowed Satan to have his way with Job ----and it is not because he feared --
-it is because Satan said to God ---you protect him but if you take away all he has he will CURSE you to your Face ---and God knew Job's Faith would stand the test and he would remain Faithful to Him no matter what Satan took from Him ------and that test Job Passed -------he remained Faithful to God through his ordeal and proved Satan to be a liar ------and God restored Job to more than he had -------

But I will say that this statement you post is a very important Statement as it shows us that what we Fear will come upon us ----we attack to us what we Fear ----as we are all energy and the energy you send out will come back to you -----if you fear a break in of your house ----that fearful energy can and most likely will attract a thief to your house ----I do believe in the energy you put out will come back to you -----if you put our good energy --good will come back to you --------

What you fear will come to pass ------important to get ------ in my view

Whatever lights your fire.

Same thing that lights your fire...the Holy Spirit.

I do not believe sickness would exist if sin did not exist. But it does. I also believe God did not desire for any to suffer and be in pain. (Physical, emotional, spiritual, etc.) However, after the fall of mankind in Eden, sin prevailed. Sin curse at birth was a result from Adam's sin. Satan also has temporary reign on this Earth. So is sickness a blessing itself, no? Yet, I believe the reference being made in this writing is referring to the benefits we can glean from sickness. (Drawing close to God, deeper in prayer, leaning on HIS healing, and the compassion we gain for other because of our suffering, etc.) If in the right state of balance in our Christian life, we can glean and be a witness for Christ to others through our illnesses. Some of the most amazing women I have met in ministry have terrible illnesses and ailments. Truthfully, it encourages me. Even when I do not know all they go through or every bit of their life. It is another avenue God can and will use to magnify Himself through you if you allow it.

Remember, people use wicked twists in scripture reference all the time to accomplish their desire. Sometimes, even in the bounds of the "church", so if someone says your suffering is meant for you, remember God's desire was never that! That was a product of sin. And although HE will use it for HIS glory, He cares for you and your illness! But, I will be in prayer for your health friend, have a blessed day!

God has allowed three kinds of chronic physical pain in my life. They are my "thorn in the flesh," pretty literally (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). Paul discovered that "When I am weak, I am strong." That is, God has humbled him and me through pain. Humility in my life means I'm much more dependent on God; prayer is like breathing to me now. Pain is not a blessing, but the spiritual lessons and changes that God has brought out of my pain are.

All of these blessings came as a result of persistent prayers for months sharing my feelings honestly with God in laments like David, Job, and Jeremiah. Then, God gave me his peace to accept my pain (Philippians 4:6-7).

Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. If he soweth to the flesh, he shall from the flesh reap corruption. And if he soweth to the Spirit, he shall from the Spirit, reap life everlasting.

Sin has three effects upon a person. Spiritual sins require Jesus' infinite sacrifice. But the effect of sin upon the body and soul, require physical, emotional, and mental healing: from which, Jesus also came to save us.
The physical, mental, and emotional corruption produced by sin, either our own or others, leads us all to realize that we're helpless and when Jesus is lifted up, we're drawn to him by our need. We love him because he first loved us.

Look at those who take communion unworthily; many were sickly and some sleep. They failed to judge themselves and were therefore judged by the Lord. They didn't heed the Lord's correction and died for not discerning the Lord's body and blood during communion.
Whenever bad things happen to others, it is for us to hurt with them and pray or do something to help; whenever something bad happens to me, I suspect the Lord's correction and get into scripture to repent. If we just repent in our mind and heart, it's filthy rags; but if the Holy Spirit uses the word of God to clean, correct, and renew us in repentance, it produces a godly sorrow not to be repented of and is therefore pleasing to the Lord.

Not only does sin produce sickness, but the Lord also makes it to rain upon the just and the unjust. We're supposed to show the lost of the world, that we're different, by how we react when bad things happen. By being able to praise the Lord in spite of the situation, by maintaining our empathy for others and hurting when they hurt. By being the light of the world in this present evil generation. By lifting up Jesus to those in need.
So, sickness is the result of sin in the world and Jesus came to same to save his people from their sin.

I cant think of any instances in the Bible where sickness is a blessing. It can be a teacher, but I cant imagine it being a blessing.

Otherwise we would just all be sick and throw up on each other in church and bless each other with vomit right?

Then a child may truly be said to be the spitting image of his or her parents.