Hey Friends,
The topic of faith and
healing is one that I’ve been working through and wrestling with throughout
this journey – particularly within these last few days.
I’ve been sick for a
little more than a year now, and the answers and healing I’ve been hoping and
praying for haven’t come yet. I’ve found myself wondering… why? I’ve allowed
certain voices and doubts to creep into my head: “Should I be listening to the people who say I haven’t prayed
enough – that I should have more faith? If that’s true, what am I doing wrong?
Is it always God’s will to heal us from our physical sickness?”
As I’ve spent time
reflecting, praying, discussing and thinking about these things, God has
provided me with an answer that has given me peace and assurance.
Does God heal?
Yes. Absolutely. He can, He will and He does. There are many examples in the
Bible where Jesus healed the sick. The Gospels are full of miraculous stories
of healing. I believe that God still does heal today. I’ve heard of, read about
and personally witnessed individuals becoming healed through prayer and faith.
Their healing becomes part of their testimony of God’s love, grace and
faithfulness in their lives.
Does God always answer our prayers with physical healing?
No. God has a different plan for each
of our lives, and He works in and through us in different ways. In situations
where God doesn’t provide the physical healing we ask for, I believe it’s
because we will draw closer to God and experience more of His glory and grace than
we would if we were healed.
The story of Paul in 2
Corinthians 12 is an example of that. Paul prayed three times asking God to
remove the thorn in his side, but that healing was not given. In verse 9, the
Lord responded: “My grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Maybe the journey one
goes through in their sickness is part of and will lead to God’s plan and
purpose for them.
Maybe the story of how
God has worked in someone’s life despite, through and because of an illness
will become part of a testimony that God can use to speak into the lives of
others.
Maybe one’s heart, mind
and spirit can become renewed and refreshed in ways that wouldn’t have happened
if physical healing had been granted or prayers were answered in the way or at
the time we wanted them to be.
Sickness isn’t from God,
and I don’t believe He causes it. It’s not like He’s up there saying, “I’m
going to throw this at them just to see how they’ll handle it.” We live in a fallen
and broken world, so things like sickness happen sometimes as a result of that.
But, as I mentioned in a previous post, God can provide meaning, purpose, and
opportunities for His grace and glory to shine through in all circumstances.
I turned on the TV this
morning as I was eating breakfast, and The
700 Club happened to be on. I’ve never once watched that show, and I was
about to flip the channel when I recognized a familiar face. Chad Veach, lead
pastor of ZOE Church in California, was on the show as a guest. Chad was one of
the speakers at last year’s Encounter Conference that I attended at Hillsong in
Cape Town.
He was on The 700 Club to talk about his new book,
“Unreasonable Hope: Finding Faith in
the God Who Brings Purpose to Your Pain.” The book was inspired by the journey
his family has gone through with his own young daughter’s diagnosis of a brain
disorder.
I only caught the last
two minutes of his appearance on the show, but it was enough for me to know
that this is a book I have to read.
How awesome is God? I randomly
turned on the TV to find a show I never watch. The guest speaker was familiar
enough to keep me from turning the channel. Chad was on the show to talk about
his new book that just so happens to be written on the topic I’ve been working
through these last few days.
God sure does pay
attention to detail. J
Have a wonderful rest of
your week, everyone!
