Chronic Illness Pain Devotionals

Getting Through the Night

"But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them," (Luke 24:29)

 

I am in the hospital, the place I least like to be and the place where I get the least amount of rest imaginable.  I have made it through another day, but I am not looking forward to the evening. The nights always seem much longer.  The evening, with its lack of activity brings my fears to the fore, and I am more conscious of my pain, discomfort and my medical circumstances.

 

In reading the above passage from Luke I could clearly understand the disciples need for companionship, especially toward evening time. Who better to have as a companion during times of fear and doubt than our Savior?  I, like the disciples, ask the Lord to help me get through the night.  I ask Him to give me the self-control to take things a day, or indeed a night at a time, and to give me the rest I so desperately need.

 

There are many readers across the world who are often touched by a devotional and who take the time to write and share their thoughts. Not long ago, a devotional reader from Australia sent me a note with some prayer cards she had made. I have them throughout my Bible and the card I came across this evening says, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." (Psalm 56:3 NIV) That pares things down to the very basics, doesn't it? When we have fear, we just need to trust in God.  Whether it is evening, afternoon or morning, let's all take our fear and put it before God in prayer - we put our trust in Him to show us the way through and on the other side of fear.

Prayer: Dear Lord, watch over all who are spending a restless night in a hospital or away from home. Comfort the sick, troubled and dying. May we be mindful of Your caring presence with us every moment of the day and night. Amen.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denny Dowd lives in Pennsylvania with her cat, Shamrock.  Denny is a social worker and she enjoys writing, reading, and volunteering.  Denny is the world's biggest Notre Dame Football fan. She lives with Chronic Inflammatory Demylineating Polyneuropathy and cancer and has strong faith that God will see her through even the most difficult of days.

The Rock

For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27: 5 NIV)

We have had a lot of "emergency situations" lately, one after another. My husband was hospitalized due to muscle spasms that made it hard for him to breathe. I cringed at having to face one more thing.

Then, I remembered my now favorite saying ... “Sometimes God calms the storm, sometimes God lets the storm rage and calms the child.”  I am realizing how easily I panic, get upset, think the worst, and get all tangled up inside when things go wrong, instead of relying on God and going to him right away.

I let my thoughts get away from me and they spiral down, down, down.  When we were following the ambulance (my youngest son was driving us), I imagined myself on a huge rock in the middle of a stormy sea.  The waves were crashing on the rock, the winds whirling around me.  It was almost comical as I felt I was in the middle of a hurricane - kind of like the tornado in the Wizard of Oz movie.  All the things that had been going wrong were swirling about me, but I set my mind on staying on the rock.  I imagined Jesus next to me on the rock.  He was standing tall and strong.  At first I imagined standing next to him, but I realized it felt more real for me to be sitting on the rock, holding on to him.  I so needed something to hold on to.

When we got to the emergency room, (I tend to have panic attacks in the ER, since my daughter died there) and dug out my cell phone to play solitaire to distract myself, I realized I had my Bible Reader too.   I opened that instead and figured I'd go to Psalms.  I picked Psalm 27 and started reading.  I smiled. How like God to confirm what I was doing.  How like God to meet me, right where I was.  No chiding, no scolding for my fears, but holding me closely, saying, “Yes … I AM the Rock, stand on Me.”

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About The Author: 

deni weber  lives in Valpo, Indiana and has been challenged with Ankylosing Spondylistis, Celiac Sprue, Atrial Fibrillation, and other chronic conditions.  deni sees God leading her on a “parade of daily adventures” towards knowing His love, mercy, and grace.

Life's Blueprints

"However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God," (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NIV)

I am a planner, I always have been and I probably always will be.  That sometimes makes it very difficult because I have no idea what God's plan is for me and my life.  Not being able to act according to a plan or blueprint is difficult for me to accept.

Chronic pain and illness don't follow a blueprint or a plan either.  Often times we are left floundering; waiting for test results, waiting for treatments, waiting to wait.  I don't know about you, but that is one of the hardest things for me.  I am not one to just sit back and accept things as they are.  While sometimes that is a very good trait, other times it can lead to trouble.

One of the many things that illness has taught me is that God has a plan.  He has an individual plan for each of us.  That plan, however, isn't easily read, figured out or even known by us sometimes.  We have to trust that God has prepared and conceived a plan for our lives and that ultimately it will be revealed to us.  It may come to us in pieces; through our actions, through our work, through our prayers or it may never be known to us until we meet Him face-to-face.  We need to trust (as difficult as that is) that God knows what He is doing.  In trusting, I am sure we will find that the plan He has for our lives will be revealed. I pray for that revelation every day.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, in your wisdom and grace reveal to us the plan you have for our individual lives.  Send forth the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and guide us in our search to fulfill Your purpose for our lives. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denny Dowd lives in Pennsylvania with her cat, Shamrock.  Denny is a social worker and she enjoys writing, reading, and volunteering.  Denny is the world's biggest Notre Dame Football fan. She lives with CIDP and cancer and has strong faith that God will see her through even the most difficult of days.