Jesus Christ is the Great Physician. In Psalm 103:3 NLT David wrote, “He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.”
In Acts 9:34 NLT we read, “Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!’ And he was healed instantly.”
In Exodus 15:26 NLT we read, “He said, ‘If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, obeying His commands and keeping all His decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.’”
There are many examples in Scripture of the LORD healing people. I believe that the LORD wants to heal us in many ways. In James 5:14 NKJV we read, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” So here we have instructions on how to pray in order to receive healing.
I believe the greatest healing we can receive is spiritual healing and this happens when we welcome Christ into our lives. In John 3:3 NLT Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Sometimes our Lord allows an illness of some kind for His own sovereign purposes. In John 9 NKJV we read of a man who was born blind. The disciples wanted to know who sinned – “this man or his parents.” In verse 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
Job had done nothing wrong. He was highly valued by God. But because Satan said to God that Job was serving him for what he could get from God or that he valued his life, not because Job loved God, our Father in heaven allowed Satan to attack him and he lost everything plus his health. Still, Job worshiped the LORD and proved Satan a liar.
The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9 refers to some painful affliction he had and he referred to it as “a thorn in the flesh…a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” So it wasn’t that Paul had sinned. Whatever the illness was, it was Satan attacking him and he will do the same to us.
There are times when illness is brought on by our emotions. In John 5:6 NKJV we read of a man, who had been at the pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years hoping to get into the pool and be healed. Jesus said to him in verse 6, “Do you want to be made well?”
You would think that anyone in that situation would want to get well but in time we mentally got used to our situation and even appreciate the attention it brings to us. That may sound ridiculous. Several times over the years I have read reports from the medical world that most people in hospitals could go home and get perfectly well if they would just learn to forgive others. If you want to see what stress can do to you, just Google it. You will be amazed at all the issues that can develop.
Sometimes illness is the result of sin in our lives. Moses was chosen by God to be the leader of the Jews. In Numbers 12 we read how Aaron and Miriam spoke against him for marrying a certain woman. God came down and specifically told both of them to come forward. He chastised them for their rebellion and Miriam was afflicted with leprosy. Aaron cried out to Moses to intercede for her, which he did, and she was banished from the camp for seven days, and then the Lord restored her. I am not sure why Aaron was not afflicted, but Miriam’s affliction was God’s discipline for her sin. God doesn’t change. I believe it is possible that some of the illnesses today may be brought by a person’s disobedience and God disciplines that person.
In Psalm 103 NKJV we are told to “Bless (praise) the LORD.” In verse 3 we read, “Who forgives all your iniquities (sins), who heals all your diseases. You should read the entire Psalm because it tells of many other blessings that come to us as we trust the LORD, but forgiveness and healing are huge.
King David, who was a man after God’s own heart, sinned greatly when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged to have her husband killed. He did his best to cover his sin but God knew (and knows) of David’s sin. His guilt was almost overwhelming. In Psalm 32:3-5 NKJV we read, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long.4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” The baby from that adulterous relationship died but David was forgiven and restored.
God doesn’t always heal in miraculous ways. I am in awe of the wisdom He has given to people in the medical field and the different medicines that have been developed to address our different health issues. Lesley and I are both dealing with some significant health issues but are being treated with some of the medicines that have been developed. What a day we live in!
I want to close this meditation with Jeremiah 32:26-27 NKJV. “Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ‘Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?’” The anticipated answer from all of us should be, “No, LORD! Absolutely nothing is too hard for You!”
“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth. Who have set Your glory above the heavens.” Folks, our God, the Creator has come to us and He cares for us! TRUST HIM!!
For His glory, Pastor Leonard
