We are surrounded by sickness in this world - physical, mental, and, the most deadly, spiritual. But we have hope through our Lord God as one of His names is the Healer. There is a balm in Gilead and He is the physician. I think that when we think of God as healer, the first thing we think of is physical healing, miraculous healing and sometimes, God does choose to heal in this manner. But I think that the most important and significant way He heals is through spiritual healing.
HOw are we sick spiritually? Well, in Exodus 15:26 God tells the people that He will protect them from disease if they obey His commands and do what is right in His sight. Does this mean that if someone gets sick, that is directly correlated to their sin? I don't think so, but there is a correlation to sin and sickness. You see, there was no sickness in the world until man chose to disobey God and introduced sin into the world. So, sickness is directly related to the sinful nature of man but not every illness is a direct consequence of personal sin.
Even in the Old Testament Jesus was identified as our healer through His death and suffering on the cross. Isaiah 53:5 says that by Christ's scourging we are healed. In Jeremiah 30:15-17, Israel was suffering because of their sins - but God was merciful and promised to "restore you to health and heal you of your wounds." In Psalm 147:3 God heals the brokenhearted and binds their wounds. In Matthew 8:16-17 we see Christ physically healing people and learn straight from Jesus in Luke 4:18 that He was SENT to heal. He healed physically to bring attention to His power and might.
However, the most complete healing we can obtain is through repentence and belief in Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins, the ultimate disease. Without His sacrifice we are dead in sin, separated forever from God. Praise God He is Jehovah Rapha, for "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." (1 Peter 2:24-25) We can look to physicians in hospitals to heal physical wounds, we can look to therapists to help heal psychological wounds, but there is only ONE Physician who can heal the deepest and most deadly illness and wounds we have...that Physician is God. So, if you are sick - in any way - seek God. If you are anxious and don't know why pray to God "Search me and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139:23o-24)." If you find sin, deal with it through God - He is faithful to forgive ALL unrighteousness. He WANTS us to be healed. Psalm 103:3 - He pardons all you iniquities and heals all your diseases - notice the order!
Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for Thou art my praise."
1 comment:
He does want us to be he healed- but I think what he wants more is simply for us to ask him for that healing. He craves that interaction from us, the intimacy that comes from humbling ones self and asking for healing.
And it is the most difficult to ask for spiritual healing. To do that we have to admit that we've been wrong- we've been sinning and it is so difficult sometimes to admit that what we've been doing is wrong. Sometimes I forget that healing is not just physical- thank you so much for the reminder that healing is so much deeper.
Off to read Psalm 139 for my devotional today. :-)
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