Word of the Week - Healing

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Psalm 103:2-3

There are many benefits to a relationship with the Lord Jesus but one powerful benefit that seems to be overlooked by many Christians is the gift of Healing. We all have areas of our lives that have dis-ease and need healing.  Whether we are struggling with physical, mental, emotional, relational or spiritual brokenness, our God wants to bring us healing.  In Exodus 15:26 God introduces Himself as Jehovah- Rapha, “the Lord who heals.”  The word Rapha means “to heal, to cure, to restore and make whole”.  By calling Himself Jehovah-Rapha, He is saying, Healing is what I am”.  Our God is the Great Physician.  Wholeness and restoration is what God desires for us in all areas of our lives.  Nothing that causes pain or suffering in our lives is above the healing touch of Jesus.  The key to receiving healing in our lives is first to be accept and receive the fullness of God’s grace and forgiveness through the blood that He shed on the cross, this is salvation.  “He (Jesus) Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds we have been healed” 1 Peter 2:24.  Second, we should draw close and seek the Healer (Jesus) because He has the power to bring healing, draw close to the Lord.  ^“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”Salvation and healing are God’s twin mercies.   So let’s posture ourselves for forgiveness and Healing of all of our disease and be restored in the name of Jesus.  And for the many situations when healing does not come as we hope, pray and expect, let us not lose heart but trust God in His sovereignty knowing and trusting that His plan is better than our plan.  “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all things and He will lead you in the way you should go”. Proverbs 3-6  Our ultimate healing is not in this world but in heaven united with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for eternity.  So if we can truly embrace an eternal perspective then we will find healing in all circumstances as the apostle Paul understood and shared in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” What we lose in life we will gain in heaven.  Before that time comes, our purpose on earth is to live as a light of hope in the darkness of sin and death and point others to the hope that brings healing.Have a great week….-Duane