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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’ve been sick for a long time, unable to go to church, work or be active. Friends have challenged me to push and not give in, but I simply can’t. My heart was broken when they told me that just praying for others is no way to live. Yet it has been my lifeline. My soul is downtrodden. – H.S.

A: There’s an expression, “God helps those who help themselves.” Perhaps a better saying is, “God helps us when we are helpless.” This is infinitely more comforting. Sickness teaches us that activity is not the only way to serve God. People seem to judge active duty, but God shows us that He is also glorified through suffering.

A young woman had been poisoned by chemicals, resulting in the destruction of her immune system, making her “allergic to the world.” She was in and out of isolation units for years and said, “Most of the time I didn’t think coherently.” She struggled with one small goal during those years of intense suffering. She read one Bible verse each day and prayed for one minute, which in her words seemed an overwhelming task.

When she finally left the prison of hospital isolation, she began to reach out to others and she knew that the Lord was using her experience of pain to help others.

Oswald Chambers wrote, “Watch where God puts you in darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Darkness is the time to listen and heed. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get in the light.”

Jesus said, “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light” (Matthew 10:27, NKJV). There is no greater blessing than to be used by God to point others to Him.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2024 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(c)2025 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.