PARADOXICAL

(To all my fellow dumbstruck sufferers, this is from Word Among Us)

"Your faith has made you well." (Mat. 9:22)


This has always been a difficult statement to understand -- esp. if we have prayed and yet not been healed. "Is God angry with me? Is there some unconfessed sin that's keeping him from healing me? Or maybe my faith just isn't strong enough."

While there are places in Scripture where Jesus says that a person's faith has made them well, there are also times when Jesus heals in situations of doubt, discouragement, and unbelief (see Jn. 5:1-9 and Lk. 9:37-43). There are other times when Jesus specifically rejects the notion that someone's suffering is a direct result of their sins (Jn. 9:2-3; Lk. 13:2). It is crucial that those who are suffering through a long illness never blame themselves and lose their hope in God.

So what can we say about the fact that some who are sick get well, and others don't? First, we can say with great confidence that our Father in heaven is always merciful and loving and that he is always near to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18).

Second, we can admit that we really don't know why God asks some of us to carry the cross of suffering during certain periods of our lives.

Third, we must never forget that even those who aren't healed physically can receive tremendous inner healing during times of trial. Past hurts, painful memories, broken relationships, and patterns of long-standing sin have been miraculously healed in many who do not recover physically from their sickness. Testimonies of those who suffer a long illness before they die often speak of such inner healings both for themselves and their whole families. God wants us to know that such healings are not just consolation prizes that he leaves behind for those who lack the faith to be healed. They are the absolute proof of God's intense love and care for each and every one of his children -- both those who recover from their sickness and those who don't.

Prayer:

"Jesus, today I humble myself before you and cry out for healing for myself and those I love. I am sorry for any way that I doubt your love. If today I am tempted to cry out: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' let me rather join with you in saying: 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Jesus, be with all the sick and brokenhearted today!"

posted by Resty Odon  # 3:47 AM