Does God Heal People Today?
"Therefore confess your sins [and faults] to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James 5:16 (NIV).
When it comes to divine healing, there is never a shortage of quacks. There are faith-healers and there are fake-healers. And when it comes to some TV so-called evangelists, I sometimes wonder which ones are in the majority.
Among us ordinary people some claim that God still heals today. Others aren't sure. Some agree that God can heal but they don't believe he will heal them. Others say that if it's God's will, or if we have enough faith, God will heal us. And some say we are as sick as we choose to be. Personally, I like the saying I heard the other day: "Christians shouldn't be any sicker than they ought to be."
Regarding faith, as Jesus pointed out, we only need faith the size of a mustard seed to receive God's blessings. Furthermore, if I understand it correctly, the faith of the faith-healer is just as necessary (perhaps even more so) as that of the one being prayed for. With fake-healers when a person they pray for (often prey on) isn't healed, they pass the blame onto the sick person telling them they just didn't have enough faith. Yeah, right!
What James is saying is tremendously important in that to be healed of many ills, we need to first confess our sins and faults. What the Bible taught 3,000 years ago and what modern medical science has confirmed is that "A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones." - Proverbs 17:22 and 15:13 (NASB).
When we fail to resolve past hurts, bitterness, guilt, anger, hostility, a critical spirit and so on, and bury, repress, and deny these negative emotions, we never bury them dead but very much alive. Either we confront and resolve these issues in a creative way or they will express themselves in a destructive way. This can be through any or all of the following ways: (1) emotionally in depression, anxiety, fears, stress, and/or through impaired relationships; (2) spiritually in our relationship to God, feeling that he is distant or we get angry at him; and/or (3) through a physical illness. Regarding the latter, what we often don't realize is that many of our ills are either caused by or greatly aggravated by these super-charged repressed negative emotions.
To be healed we need to follow God's instructions and confess and resolve all of our sins, our negative spirit, and all of our super-charged repressed negative emotions—the things that make us sick. As Peter said, "Get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing." - See 1 Peter 2:1-2 (NLT). Repressing these harmful emotions does not get rid of them.
Some illnesses are simply because we live in a sinful, broken world and are all affected. Other ills may be allowed by God to help us grow. The Apostle Paul had some ailment that he prayed three times for God to heal. God didn't. Through this, Paul learned the efficiency of God's grace which helped him to live with his problem.
Jesus said to those who were infirm, "Do you want to be made well?" As I've said before, wishes don't wash. We need to genuinely want to be made well and accept personal responsibility for doing our part in the healing process. God doesn't go against his own laws. We either resolve our sins and issues or suffer the natural consequences.
Speaking personally, in my youth I was taught that Christians should never be angry and that you can't trust your feelings—so I learned early in life to repress and deny my pent-up negative emotions. By the time I was in my early 30s I suffered from painful bursitis in both shoulders and miserable hay-fever. But when I got into recovery and resolved my anger, hurts, grief and fears, I was healed. I haven't suffered from either bursitis or hay-fever in years, for which I am very thankful.
Thus I believe it is true that "Christians shouldn't be any sicker than we ought to be."
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32 (NKJV)
I am greatly comforted by this set of verses in Romans 8:31-32. First of all, having the assurance of God being on my side, protecting me, and looking out for my best interests is liberating. I am free from fear and worry, knowing He is with me every step of the way. There is an abundance of peace within my mind knowing God cares so much about me in such a personal way.
Q: If God is for us, who can be against us?
A: The answer is Satan and the world by influence of his emissaries.
To some, this is frightening. I believe this is because they think of Satan as God's equal - that he is somehow as powerful as God. But this isn't true. God is the infinite. He is the almighty powerful creator. Whereas Satan is just a finite created being. Knowing this, we can be confident in our safety and say as David did, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear" (Ps. 118:6).
My knowledge of God sparing His only begotten Son, and delivering Him up to die on the cross for my sin has made me eternally grateful.
It blows my mind to see so many Christian people jaded to the truth of this supreme act of love and sacrifice by God. Could it be they were raised in a Christian home and therefore they've heard the Gospel message so many times, they've grown calloused to its ability to prick the conscious and heart? Maybe they've tried following Christ, but found they weren't freely receiving, "All things" when they asked God.
Q: What does this verse mean, "How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
I believe this verse has been taken out of context and even interpreted as, "We can ask God for everything we want and He will give it to us." But this is not what this Scripture is saying. I believe it simply means God will give us all "Good" things.
Some would say, "There are so many good things I would like to have, but they are not being given to me, why?" And I would answer, Because God knows exactly what we need, and what is best for our Christian growth and walk. I believe God gives us exactly what we need, and He spares us from those things we don't need - those things causing us to take our eyes off of Him, and causing us to stumble.
I remember about 6-years ago, being with my wife while looking at a beach house to purchase. We were sure this home would bring some great things to our relationship. We could start and end our day walking together on the beach. We could open the windows and listen to the ocean at night and sleep so good. I could do some studying while listening to these waves. We asked, but God knew this was not where He wanted us and He said, "No."
We trust Him completely, and we know He is watching out for us and guiding us. He is keeping us from distractions and stumbling blocks that could potentially harm us. He does this with each and every one of us because He loves us, and He knows us so well.
Hey Christian, maybe God knows if you had enough money, you wouldn't be seeking Him right now. Maybe He knows you would be putting your confidence in your wealth and possessions instead of Him. Maybe He knows if you weren't afflicted with an illness or injury, you might be walking in a wrong direction - you'd be focusing on your next activity or business opportunity. Maybe He knows if we didn't experience the loss of a loved one through death, we wouldn't be thinking about how we'd live for eternity.
The point is God knows what's best for us. He wants to give us all "Good" things to transform us. He has already given us His Son so we might, through Him, have access to the Father and eternal life. He has already given us His written Word in the Bible. He has already given us The Holy Spirit to help and guide us in the understanding of His Word. We have already been given so much - why would He hold back anything else needed to become Christ-like?
STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn from the Scriptures contained within this devotional with regard to God's love for us?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you jaded to what God has given you? Are you eternally thankful for what He has given you?
APPLICATION: Trust in God with everything you have. Seek Him and rely on His promises - knowing He will not give you more than what you can handle. Know in confidence, He will provide for your needs.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)
I was talking with my sister one Saturday morning as she was looking to purchase a home. She was excited about the prospects of a couple of houses that she had just discovered, and we began to talk about them. Of course the conversation turned to God and His will - and rightly so. We talked about His plan for her life, and the importance of taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ so that her emotions and feelings didn't cause her to make a choice that was not a part of His plan.
That's what makes the Sovereignty of God so amazing to me - He knows every detail of every plan or activity we are going to choose to participate in and He works within those details every so perfectly - even in the bad choices. He is going to continue to use our choices in a perfect way to shape our lives.
I think as Christians that each of our lives is like a unique "Picture Puzzle" from God - thousands of intricate pieces that will one day form a individual picture of us once they are put together. We obtain new pieces of the puzzle as we make our individual choices - it can be when facing our daily challenges, trials, or various seasons of life. As we ask God for "His" wisdom (See James 1:5) each day, and about each choice, then we will be able to choose wisely. When we do this, each part of our life should fit perfectly into the other piece and once put together they should make a picture of what we will ultimately look like.
Our problem is that we don't see how at times because we only see the fragments of the individual little pieces (Choices) and not the completed picture puzzle. We might not see it now, but we are told that one day we will see it clearly.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV)
What we need to understand is that God has actually given us a perfect picture of what we will look like though within the pages of the Bible - all we have to do is read about our Lord and Savior, Jesus. We can see what the Perfect Picture Puzzle looks like, and know with confidence what we will look like as well when God is finished with us.
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
Q: So why is it so hard to see Christ in ourselves at times?
A: It's because we have taken the wrong pieces and shoved them into the wrong spot.
I think making bad choices are like picking up the wrong piece for a particular part of the Puzzle - it's not what God had in mind for that area of our life. The problem is that sometimes we just insist that the piece will fit, and we do silly things to prove it. We can enter into a relationship with a person that we were not equally yoked spiritually with, or we might choose to hang out with the wrong types of people and end up going along with things that we would otherwise not choose to do; we can follow our feelings verses following the Holy Spirit's leading by making a purchase on a car or home that doesn't suit our financial capabilities and many other things like that.
We take these incorrect pieces (Choices) and we cram them in where they obviously don't fit. We can even trim them and modify them to fit where we want them fit - but they really don't fit. And as we do this, we can then wonder why our "Picture puzzle" looks like a recreation of Van Gough painting with an ear missing. Our problem is that we get impatient, and we want what we think is perfect for us at the time, and many times it is anything but perfect.
My sister's realtor shared something with her that bears repeating; he said, "When people look at houses to buy they can get caught up in the moment - especially when they are being bid upon during an open auction. These people will loose focus and act much like a person in a gambling casino - often doing foolish things in the heat of the moment." I have to think that we have all done this at some point. Perhaps not with a house or even in an auction, but we have simply lost focus and done things based on "Feelings" instead of "Obedience." Again, these are simply the wrong puzzle pieces that won't fit properly.
Hey Christian, I want to encourage you today to know with certainty, that God has a perfect plan for every aspect of your life. Don't be anxious about this, but pray about everything and keep reading your Bible. God will guide you through each and every choice. And when He's done with you, you will be God's perfect picture puzzle."
STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn about our lives according to the Scriptures contained within this devotional?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Can you see the times where you have forced a piece that didn't fit properly in your life?
APPLICATION: Trust in God, because He will use all of our choices to help shape our life, and transform us to be like Jesus.
Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 10:12-16
He requires you to . . . obey the Lord's commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good. - Deuteronomy 10:12-13 .
"YOU KNOW," Carmen insists, "I want to do what's right. But I hear so many things from so many people that I don't know what's right anymore. I'm like a little kid playing baseball. I've got coaches and teammates and my parents and the other team all yelling at me at once. I need to know what God wants."
Confused as Carmen is, she's taken a huge step toward obeying God: She wants what God wants. Truth is, the struggle isn't figuring out right and wrong. It's deciding God's version of right and wrong is better than your own or anything anyone else yells at you. Once you have decided to follow God's absolute best, here's a step-by-step plan to figure out what he wants:
1. Consider the choice. Through Jesus Christ and the words of Scripture, God has revealed his absolute standards for right and wrong. You have many big choices to make in life, but the biggest is deciding whose version of right and wrong you will live by.
2. Compare it to God. Your next step is to compare an attitude or action to who God is and what he has said about it.
3. Commit to God's way. God has promised that when you submit to him as Savior and Lord of your life, he will pump you full of his power to live according to his ways. Here's how to get filled:
a. Turn from your selfish ways and confess your sin (see 1 John 1:9). Sincerely turn your back on sin and claim God's free forgiveness.
b. Turn control of your life over to the Lord. If God can keep planets spinning, rivers running, and seasons coming and going, don't you think he can keep your life in order if you give him control?
c. Trust God to fill you and lead you by his Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means he directs your life and gives you his power to resist temptation, gain courage, make right choices, and deal with whatever happens to you.
d. Keep walking in the power of the Spirit. As you live in the power of the Holy Spirit, you can live more consistently day after day.
4. Count on God's protection and provision. Living according to God's way brings countless spiritual blessings-like freedom from guilt, a clear conscience, the joy of sharing Christ, and, most importantly, the love and smile of God.
REFLECT: Are you seeking God's version of right and wrong for your life? How do you see that happening in your daily decisions?
PRAYER: Our Loving Heavenly Father, thanks for your guidance in my life leading a successful life and help me not to divert my mind for the world. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
