Jesus, Your name is sweet, as I suffer

I’ve begged God for healing over many years of progressively worsening illness, so Job feels like a fellow chronic illness friend to me. He dealt with chronic pain and visible skin issues that were itchy, infected, and gross. He had no appetite and lost weight, with fevers and breathing challenges. Insomnia and depression affected his brain with cascading neurochemical reactions. Check out chapters 2, 7, 16, 19, 29, 30 for gruesome details.

In Job’s despair, he didn’t ask God to heal him of symptoms, but he freely complained, “I loathe my life” (10:1). I get it! Chronic illness brings difficult physical, emotional, financial, relational challenges. It’s an exhausting way of life, filled with grief and loss.

The accusations and lies of his friends made his physical illness so much worse. They linked his illness with some unconfessed sin, heaping shame and guilt on top of his bodily suffering. 

Our accuser does the same thing, doesn’t he? 

Or worse, the enemy entices us to think that physical health is the all-important and all-encompassing focus of our earthly existence. As I walk through another round of serious illness, I’m again battling the lies of our enemy, God’s enemy, especially in the “two steps forward—one step backward” months of current treatment.

While praying for physical healing and constantly asking Him for wisdom, courage, and strength, I must focus on Jesus Himself, the Suffering Servant, rather than letting my thoughts obsessively fixate on what’s happening with my body.

For Jesus understands the agonizing grip of a broken body better than anyone.

This is my body, which is given…for you (Lk. 22:19 ESV).

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
and drives away his fear.

(“How Sweet the Name of Jesus,” Newton, J., 1779)

Jesus, Lamb of God

My Jesus, You endured far worse than Job and far worse than I ever could, yet You never sinned in your life of suffering. Even now, Lamb of God, Your resurrected body bears the marks of the cross You bore for me, in all of Your holy and glorious perfection. 

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth (Rev. 5:6 ESV).

You were slain, but You now reign as the One who victoriously conquered sin and will one day remove the sin that caused physical illness and death to be a normal part of this fallen world. In my weary and wounded body, I praise You as my perfect and spotless Lamb of God, slain to take my deserved punishment for all my sin. Be my manna for today, calming me with Your peaceful rest, in the midst of the symptoms.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,
and calms the troubled breast;
’tis manna to the hungry soul,
and to the weary rest.

Jesus, Your name is my strength as I suffer

Dear Name! the rock on which I build,
my shield and hiding place…

my never-failing treas’ry filled
with boundless stores of grace.

Jesus, Your name is healing oil poured out as I suffer

Your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out (Song of Solomon 1:3 ESV).

Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
my Prophet, Priest, and King,
my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
accept the praise I bring.

God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name (Phil. 2:9 ESV).

Weak is the effort of my heart,
and cold my warmest thought…

Jesus, You know how hard this is, especially when I’m tempted to fixate on health so much that it becomes my idol, wanting nothing else. This brings fear, self-pity, and joyless angst. Forgive me. You battled the enemy’s lies and You’re helping me do the same. Protect my emotions and thoughts. I praise You that I can come to You with it all, Jesus. Thank You for praying for me.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one (Jn. 17:15 ESV).

but when I see thee as thou art,
I’ll praise thee as I ought.

Jesus, please give me songs to praise Your name

My Jesus, help me to sing to You now, in this broken body. For You’ve taught me that You are always with me and Your love for me is unending because I’m unified with You, my Suffering Servant and my Savior. Help me to sing of Your name and to Your name, battling lies with what is true and focusing on You above my health. Sink it all deep into me as I suffer, by looking to You, the One who understands me better than anyone.

‘Til then I would thy love proclaim
with ev’ry fleeting breath…

at the name of Jesus 

every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess 

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11 ESV)

and may the music of thy name
refresh my soul in death.

Glory to You, oh Lord! For it is in Your name of abiding love, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Material adapted from Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2022

Resources to Sing Christ’s Hope, Into Your Suffering

This week’s playlist gift praises Jesus with and for His many names, as we turn to Jesus in our pain. We sing-pray directly to Him, in the midst of our suffering. If this professionally curated, Christ-exalting playlist would refresh you, sign up and it will come to your email. Praying that any of the resources below would be God’s healing gift of grace to your suffering heart, sister in Christ.