In the church’s “Scripture Memory” programme, there are two verses about sickness. Of course, the Bible contains many verses about sickness and God’s healing power. But memorizing these two verses is already a great comfort and reminder for us.

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:4).

But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9a)

Let’s first look at the verse from 2 Corinthians. This letter was written by Paul to believers. In it, Paul mentions a “thorn in my flesh.” He prayed three times, asking the Lord to remove it, but God did not grant his request. Instead, as recorded in 12:9a, God promised Paul sufficient grace to face the thorn and live with it. This “thorn” Paul mentions might have been a chronic eye disease that, from a human perspective, severely affected his ministry. Logically, if God healed Paul’s eyes, Paul, being so capable, could have done even more for the Lord and written more letters. This thorn must have greatly impacted Paul; otherwise, he wouldn’t have repeatedly pleaded for its removal. Paul, by the Lord’s power, had healed a man born lame:

“In Lystra, there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed, and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ At that, the man jumped up and began to walk” (Acts 14:8–10). Why, then, could Paul not heal his own eyes?

Sometimes God heals sicknesses, as Jesus did during His ministry, constantly healing and driving out demons. But at other times, God allows sickness to afflict Christians without intending to heal them. In our weakness, we may feel this is “cruel.” Yet God wants us to experience His mighty grace beyond physical suffering. His grace does not always manifest itself through healing. In Paul’s case, God’s grace was evident in his coworkers helping him write letters that encouraged believers across churches and in teaching Paul to humbly depend on the Lord through his eye disease. From God’s promise, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness,” Paul experienced God’s mercy and comfort.

Psalm 91:4 mentions God’s protection, emphasising its reliability. If we read the context, we find that this protection includes deliverance from disease: “Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (Psalm 91:3–7). Yes, the Lord we trust is fully capable of protecting us from diseases. This psalm is God’s promise to those who wholeheartedly rely on Him. Not only can He shield us from illness, but verse 16 also says, “With long life, I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.” Conversely, disease here is portrayed as a tool of punishment for those who do not rely on God—the wicked.

In conclusion, God allows sickness in our lives for different reasons: sometimes as punishment for sin and sometimes unrelated to sin, as a means for us to experience His all-encompassing grace and develop deeper reliance on Him. God has the power to heal, but whether He chooses to heal or not, His mercy remains abundant. “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:14–16). In sickness, we learn to depend on the Lord; on the other hand, we should continue pray for our brothers and sisters or loved ones who are suffering, so they too may experience God’s grace and mercy.

translated by Elder Liu Kerh Li