07/10
Healing in the
Presence of God
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”
Jeremiah 17:14
Jeremiah 17:14
In the midst of sickness or pain, a major question we need to ask ourselves and wrestle with is this: If God doesn't heal me on this side of eternity, will I still praise Him? If God doesn't make the pain go away, is He still good? Do I still have reason to praise God even if my prayers are not answered? Within scripture there are multiple stories of healing: healing of blindness, disease, infertility and even raising people from the dead, but there are also stories where people were not healed. Paul was not healed of the thorn in his flesh, despite asking God. Stephen was stoned to death and was not healed of his wounds or brought back to life. In fact, every disciple except John died a horrible and painful death.
There is one thing each of these people, and every martyr had in common; they praised God no matter if healing, help, or deliverance came, or if they did not. They saw the physical world through the lens of the spiritual, so no matter what happened to them, they knew that ultimately, upon death, they were going to be in the presence of Jesus. That is a hopeful outlook! Whether you are healed physically on this side of eternity or not, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will see healing in the presence of God. Although that perspective can be difficult to come to, and is not always our first response, we should remember it is not up to us to judge God or determine why He did what He did in each circumstance. What we are called to do is to be filled with faith, praising God no matter what, because, despite the outcome, He is always good and worthy of praise. He has made a way for your healing for all of eternally by paying for your sins and dying on the cross!
There is one thing each of these people, and every martyr had in common; they praised God no matter if healing, help, or deliverance came, or if they did not. They saw the physical world through the lens of the spiritual, so no matter what happened to them, they knew that ultimately, upon death, they were going to be in the presence of Jesus. That is a hopeful outlook! Whether you are healed physically on this side of eternity or not, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will see healing in the presence of God. Although that perspective can be difficult to come to, and is not always our first response, we should remember it is not up to us to judge God or determine why He did what He did in each circumstance. What we are called to do is to be filled with faith, praising God no matter what, because, despite the outcome, He is always good and worthy of praise. He has made a way for your healing for all of eternally by paying for your sins and dying on the cross!
Challenge
Take some time today to be alone with God and write down a prayer based on your current perspective of healing and how God can continue to move in that perspective to give you a clearer picture of Himself in this season. Pray that Jesus would reveal the excitement and joy you can have that your healing is secured through His death on the cross, whether on this side of eternity, or in Heaven!