20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
James 4:14-15 says “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.".”
The practice of euthanasia, or "mercy killing" literally means "good death". Some people feel it is acceptable for a human being to commit suicide when they have a prolonged, debilitating illness which will eventually take his or her life anyway.
The Bible states that all life is given by God and He has the sole right to dispose of it as He will. The Bible also tells us that the length of our life is rightfully determined by God. Job could endure without understanding why he suffered so, but trusted God anyway.
I worked was in the nursing home, God gave me a surprising insight into the spirit of a person. We had various patients who some would describe as a living vegetable. We also served people severely handicapped or special needs which some members of society would call a burden. but the human spirit demonstrates the image of God.
After a while I developed a relationship which was different with each person even though they didn’t respond. I would watch the nursing assistants. nurses, and family members so often tenderly care for them and show them love which lifted my spirits.
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. The Spirit of God was bearing fruit in the lives of the care-givers because of the life of the client. They served a purpose from God to develop character of service on the part of those helper. I wrote a booklet on visiting and volunteering in nursing homes entitled, “Loved For Who They Are.” with a subtitle - “not for what they do”.
Even on beds of affliction, people have a service to God. Those who require our help teach us to love, serve, and show kindness. They teach us about the sanctity of life and the duty we owe to one another because we are human beings and not animals. Through prayer, devotion, and patience, the sick and dying have an opportunity to remind us about what is most important in life.
Prayer: Father, Your Word teaches us to live with our ailments, accept them as a normal part of life, and use them to spur us on to greater spiritual devotion. It is through suffering that we learn several valuable lessons, and are able to reach a greater trust in You.
