Tonight, I want to talk about healing. In my experience as a Christian woman, I've found this to be a touchy topic. Few things can shake your faith as much as a prayer for healing that goes unanswered. Or, a prayer for healing that is answered with a solid "no." Pastors preach about a God who wants nothing more than for you to be healed. His Word presents true, historical accounts of children being healed and even raised from the dead. And the biggest conundrum at all...if God loves us as much as He says that He does, why does He allow us, and those we love, to suffer from maladies which could be taken away by a wave of His hand?
Let me assure you. God is our Healer. It is one of His names. God is Jehovah Rapha, literally the "God who Heals." He wants to heal, and He loves to heal. I did a post months ago about the amazing ability of our bodies (specifically my son's) to heal everyday...from wounds to colds, from the flu to another ear infection (poor little babies), from broken bones to surgical incisions. Our bodies heal all the time! And, who made our bodies? The incredible God of the universe. I don't want to ever forget the healing power He shows on a daily basis. How can we, as mothers? :-)
But, when that healing doesn't come as expected, or at all, we must remember that He is sovereign. Sovereign means 'paramount, supreme, independent.' Paramount is defined as 'more important than anything else.' He knows the entire picture. He knows the after effects of immediate healing, healing that takes longer than expected, and healing that never comes. And, He will always do what is best for us. Quite possibly, we won't know the whole story until we sit and talk with Him face-to-face for eternity (what a thought!), but we do have to love Him enough to accept the fact that His healing power is delivered at exactly the right times, to exactly the right people, in exactly the right amount.
Wouldn't it be amazing if this is what we heard every time we prayed for healing for ourselves?
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:34
I had an experience like that. A few years ago, I had a large ovarian cyst that was causing all sorts of problems. I was in a lot of pain, and the doctor was threatening to take the ovary if it didn't resolve on its own. Well, I decided that my only option was to take this to the Lord. I was in major prayer one evening, and I had a horrible pain. My eyes fell to this verse (if you read from chapter 25, you'll see that this passage applies directly to womanly issues), and I felt the Lord say that I was healed immediately. Well...I ended up at the E.R. that night due to my pain and bleeding, but you see, I didn't misunderstand Him! The cyst had ruptured, but I was totally fine, my body would heal on its own, and nothing further had to be done. The moral of my graphic story? Sometimes, He does heal immediately. It may be uncomfortable and not the way we imagine. But, He can and does heal on the spot!
Then...there is the healing that takes awhile. The following scripture is what inspired me to write on this tonight. I saw this passage in a whole new light, and I wanted to share it with you:
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had spit on the man's eyes and put His hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." Once more Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Mark 8:23-25
At first glance, it may seem that Jesus didn't put forth quite enough effort in the first attempt at healing. Oh, but we know better. Jesus didn't, and doesn't, make mistakes. He doesn't fail the first time and try again. Everything is done at the right time, with the right strength, for a the right reason. Here is my take on this passage. First of all, Jesus wanted the blind man to participate in his healing. He desired for the man to give feedback throughout his healing. I think that is a powerful and pertinent observation. How nice it would be to simply sit back and accept immediate healing from our Father! But sometimes, I believe that God wants to know that we're paying attention. He wants us to experience relational healing, in a sense. We have no healing power ourselves, but why wouldn't God enjoy conversing with us as He heals? Why wouldn't He desire to see positive changes in the way we live during a time of healing?
Second, notice that the man didn't complain, and he didn't refuse to allow Jesus to continue healing him. He simply answered Jesus' question, and then willingly desired for Jesus to continue. That takes trust. That takes faith, and that action takes hope. The man trusted in Jesus enough to allow Him to touch him, he had faith that Jesus had the ability to heal him, and still had hope that he might one day be able to see everything clearly. I believe that healing over time intensely deepens our desire for our Lord. Just as this man's trust, faith, and hope was built during this brief interaction, our trust, faith, and hope is built with our heavenly Father throughout seasons of healing. How can it not be?
I have had many journeys of healing in my life. In fact, most of the healing that He has blessed me with has occurred over a season, instead of an instant. And through every experience, I have grown immensely as a daughter of Christ. Yes, it's painful. Yes, I wished for the instant gratification of a miracle. But, the fact that He loves us enough to heal us at all is a miracle in itself! I have learned to be grateful for healing, no matter the form it takes. As a wife and a mother, I have learned to experience sheer joy as I have watched Him heal my husband and my son. Whether He urges us to seek medical treatment, encourages us to try natural remedies to participate in our healing, or if our message is:
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14
God knows what He's doing. We need to willingly join Him when He asks, but we also need to be willing to wait on His sovereign timing. He gets the final say. He gets the last word. And, it is always the right plan.
Finally, what happens when the healing doesn't come? I've had this experience, as well...most recently with my Grandma who passed away from ALS nearly one year ago. If you aren't familiar with it, ALS is a horrific neurological disease that slowly paralyzes its victim from the inside out, or the outside in. She was an incredible wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and daughter of Christ. To watch her suffer made no sense to me. I wish I could tell you that I understand why this happened, and why He took her home. I simply can't. My human mind cannot justify what happened, and why it happened. Therefore, there is only one thing left to say. He knows why. And because He is the God of the universe who controls every breath we take and every star in the sky, I do believe His way and His reasoning is best.
I pray that this song may bring comfort to you if you are in the midst of praying for healing that didn't come, or isn't coming. Be blessed, sweet mommies. I love you!
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