Galatians 4 v 8 - 20

Paul's personal health was a continuing issue for him- verses 13-15. Whether it had been before his Damascus road conversion, or it was possibly as a result of the burning light which he experienced when Jesus Christ met with him there, we don't know. Here Paul writes that the believers at Galatia would have given him their eyes if it could have helped and we know he generally dictated his letters to a scribe. When he does write a few words of greeting, he exclaims at how large his handwriting is!-Galatians 6 v 11. We know that Luke, the Doctor, joined him on his travels as the words in Luke's book of Acts move from 'they' to 'we'-Acts 20 v 13-15-and we know too that Paul prayed for healing, but was told by God that this was being used by Him to stop Paul from becoming conceited-2 Corinthians 12 v 7-and we also know that Paul experienced torture, shipwreck and a lifestyle not conducive to good health! The knowledge of Paul's health issues can encourage us when we read his words of exhortation in passages like Romans 8 v 31-39. This was no ivy-tower theologian! Here was a man most deserving of God's healing, yet it didn't happen. The reason why we are not healed is almost certainly not due to our lack of faith! If we can recognise that God works through our suffering then that can be an encouragement as we can understand that God is in control of our pain as well as our pleasure and that He is working through all this to refine us and to enable us to be more fully His. Put your self into the hands of God, dear brother or sister!