Sickness. I have a personal history that makes me particularly dislike sickness. When I was 16 years old my mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness. We were told that her disease was very rare and that it would be hard to predict how it would progress. Amazingly, my mom is still alive today; it’s been a God-given 23 years since that first diagnosis. I know that absolutely everyone reading this has some familiarity with sickness. We all have felt its sting in a myriad of ways and now we are living through a pandemic. My observations of sickness bring me to the conclusion that sickness always steals. It takes from us plans, hopes, resources. Sometimes it merely takes the contented feeling of well-being but other times it takes our very lives. It is a thief. In John 10:9-10, Jesus says,

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

In a season where many of us feel that much has been stolen from us - our freedom, our plans, our celebrations, our gatherings - where will we look to find restitution? To whom will we look to restore to us what has been stolen? We must look to the only one who can heal us; the only one who cares enough for us and is powerful enough to do something to heal our diseases. We must look to our good shepherd and trust that He, by living an obedient life and dying a sin-atoning death, has secured for us abundant life.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5–6 ESV)

We clearly need a shepherd, a good shepherd, who can heal us. Let us in this time of need look to Jesus Christ the Lord!

- April Weber