Healing and the Heart of God
Some teach that the healing of our physical bodies is part of the gospel message Jesus came to deliver and fulfill. Surely, it can't be argued that He was against healing given the vast number of times He healed in the New Testament. I can't think of a single place in scripture when a sick person came to Him for healing and was turned away disappointed. These teachers will pray bold prayers, and are sometimes accused of being TOO bold, too presumptuous, maybe even arrogant or "bossing" God around.
Others teach that physical healing is for days long past - only for the very early church as they established that first row of stones placed firmly on the cornerstone of Jesus Himself. These teachers will pray prayers that ask God for help in suffering well. Maybe, in a time of desperation, they'll cry out to God for healing...but these prayers are generally faithless. They don't really have hope for healing because their theology tells them "no" before they even ask.
And then there's the compromise...the moderate teachers. These would say that God CAN always heal, but it's not always His WILL to heal. They teach a mash-up theology that consists of part Biblical truth, and part physical/earthly experience. Personally, I've encountered this teaching most often. These folks' prayers always sound a bit like a hedged bet. They'll pray for healing..."but only if it's your will, God".
These contradicting teachings have been spinning in my mind the past few weeks as I've dealt with some of my own health issues (nothing major).
As always, I go to the Lord with my questions. Often, before the question is even out of my mouth, the answer comes in the form of Scripture.
The first that He highlighted is Matthew 8:17:
"This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: "He Himself took our illnesses and carried away our diseases."
He took our illnesses and diseases and "carried them away".
The Lord whispered in my ear..."then what? are you suggesting He carried them away only to bring them back and hand them back to you?"
This suggestion literally made me laugh out loud!
He then asked, "Do I do things that I don't want to do? If I didn't want to remove illness and disease from you, why would I carry them away? I conquered illness and disease because I came to destroy all the works of the devil. Illness and disease are of the devil, not of me."
Oh Lord, forgive me for ascribing the works of the evil one to you!
The next scripture God brought me to was Isaiah 53:5:
"He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed."
All the suffering...from Judas's betrayal, the agony in the garden, the lashes that nearly skinned Him alive, the crown of thorns, the beard pulling, the humiliation, the spitting and ridicule, the abandonment, the spikes through His hands and feet...NONE of it was wasted. It was ALL for our good.
Not a single speck of Jesus's suffering was because He deserved it. It was 100% OUR suffering that He endured.
God is perfectly just... He endured all the suffering necessary to be able to say "paid in full"...but not a single bit more. NONE of it was wasted.
The result? "By His wounds, we are healed."
The next Scripture God led me to was Ecclesiastes 3.
This is the famous "a time for everything" chapter in the Bible.
There's a time for everything...for every activity under the heavens.
to be born, to die
to plant, to uproot
to kill, to heal
a time to tear down, to build
to weep, and laugh
to mourn, and dance
I'll let you read the full chapter - it's pretty all encompassing.
As I read, I thought that the Lord was trying to show me that there's a "time to die". Certainly, no one is arguing the truth that our bodies reach their earthly end.
But the Lord corrected me with, "isn't it interesting that there's no mention of 'a time to be sick, and a time to be healthy'?"
I had to read the chapter through a few more times to be sure!
As I considered this interesting point, the Bible played like a movie in my mind...countless times when God healed His people!
As already mentioned, Jesus healed everyone who asked.
After He ascended, His church went on to heal many sick (and in some pretty creative ways!)
But this isn't a New Testament only teaching...the Old Testament is full of God healing too.
Do a quick web search of "healing in Scripture", and you'll have quite a list! (Here's a good list)
I read, and read, and read some more.
WHY was it so hard for me to fully embrace the idea that not only is God able to heal, but that He always WANTS to heal?
There was a battle in my mind...
...a battle between what I can see clearly written in God's Word and my physical experiences and perceptions
...a battle between various types of teaching I've been exposed to
...a battle between what I WANT truth to be and what I see with my own eyes in the flesh
I was done studying.
It was time to simply surrender and to submit myself to the Lord in this area.
My prayer was "God, I need Your truth. I know what I want, but I don't want my own desires. I want the TRUTH of You even if it turns my desires upside down. Please transform me into someone who can fearlessly accept the pure truth of Your Word without first filtering it through my earthly experiences. And Lord, I know that there is no "time for sickness" in Ecclesiastes, but I can't build a theology based on what's NOT in your Word! Please give me Your heart for healing, and give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Please settle this for me once and for all with a deep heart and mind and soul knowledge of You."
And oh, His sweet answer wrecked me.
He said simply, "I CAUSED ADAM TO SLEEP"
Oh, I weep even as I type this memory!
I've read Genesis 2:21 a hundred times:
"So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place"
As I read it with fresh eyes, the overwhelming tenderness and mercy of God for humanity struck me.
He caused Adam to sleep.
Do you see it? Do you see the tenderness? Do you see His gentle heart and hand? His consideration of Adam, His precious creation? Him gently tucking Adam in for a deep sleep while God worked a mighty new thing with Adams flesh?
All at once the idea that God would will (want/choose) to put disease and pain on His beloved bride seems utterly preposterous.
He is good
He is kind
He is gentle
He is faithful
Do I 100% get it now? Nope
I still have questions about times I've seen/experiences suffering...
I've seen unanswered prayers
I've seen untimely deaths
I've seen unspeakable pain and loss
But today...I also see more clearly the heart of God for us.
It is NOT His desire that we be sick or diseased or in pain.
This contradiction between the Heart of God revealed in Scripture and our experiences in the flesh leaves me with questions. But, at the end of the day, the Word of God stands true. My "experiences" don't negate a single part of the Word.
I think this is where many theologians would shrug and utter something profound about "mysteries"
I feel a tug in my spirit as the Lord asks me to trust Him.
Yes, Lord, I trust you. Thank you for bowing so low to speak to this daughter of yours. Thank you for sharing Your heart with me. Thank you for being so gentle, tender, loving, and kind...and also mighty and powerful. Thank you that your thoughts are so much higher than mine, and that you work everything to my ultimate good. Thank you that you hold me in your hand, and that you dwell even within me. Come what may, I will trust your beautiful heart for me. I believe and trust what your Word says. Thank you for carrying sickness and disease away from me. Thank you for providing for my freedom. Lord, please move in power by your Holy Spirit to free me of any sickness, disease, fear, curse, or injury that seeks to do me harm. Thank you God, for the power of the blood of Jesus. Thank you for providing "it is FINISHED". Please apply ALL the finished work of the Cross to my mind, my soul, my body, and my family in your perfect timing. Amen
