The Healing Power of Faith

"As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. . .

Jesus stopped and ordered the man

to be brought to him.

When he came near,

Jesus asked him,

'What do you want me to do for you?'

'Lord, I want to see,' he replied.

Jesus said to him,

'Receive your sight;

your faith has healed you.'

Immediately he received his sight

and followed Jesus, praising God.

When all the people saw it, they also praised God."

Luke 18:35, 40-43

I followed at a distance, afraid to be discovered trailing Him.  My heart ached with the pain of many wounds; battle scars collected along the narrow trail I traveled.  I knew my Savior held the power to heal within His hands, but I was afraid.  What if I'm not good enough?  Maybe its all  my fault.  He probably only restores health and well-being to those who really deserve it.  I can't risk the possibility of rejection. . . not again. . .  

Writer Cecil Osbourne said, "God's forgiveness and love exist for you as if you were the only person on earth."  I need never fear to approach the throne of grace to receive the forgiveness He promises there.  (Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 1:9) 

When I go to Jesus, He will ask me what He can do for me.  The way I answer that question reveals the level of intimacy in my relationship with Him.  If I smile and say, "Oh, nothing.  Everything's great!  You have given me much for which I can be thankful," but ignore the painful situation I am currently suffering through, I am not trusting Him.  If, however, I give my hurts to Him and say, "I need your restorative touch right about now," then His healing power will come through.  Believing in His ability and willingness to cure me either physically, emotionally or spiritually is what will heal me.

Physical

The common cold, influenza, chicken pox, Diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, cancer, benign yet fast-growing tumors, pneumonia.  These are all ailments and conditions that are affecting some of the people around me.  There is no doubt in my mind that the human body is fragile and not able to withstand the kinds of pressure this sinful world places on it.  As the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16. "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

My body is wearing out as I move toward the inevitable: the day when my number is called and it's time for me to go to my heavenly home.  Even so, Jesus does offer healing from my physical ailments.  Having said that, I can't expect my wishes to be granted just because I want things to go a certain way.  No one wants to suffer, but many times He uses suffering as a tool to purify me and refine my faith.  (Malachi 3:3)   I must leave room for His plan.

Jesus does, however, bring healing to my body at times.  I know a man whose heart was beating erratically for 12 years.  The right doctor finally caught his condition and ordered a boat-load of tests.   The medical team decided to cauterize some vessels and then use a defibrillator to "shock" the heart back into a regular rhythm.  They were not optimistic, though, because of how long his heart had behaved this way.   God, however, had a different plan.  As soon as the doctor began the procedure, the heart spontaneously began beating regularly for the first time in a dozen years.  This experience worked to awaken this man's heart to the presence of God in His life.

Another friend of mine has an equally amazing, yet completely different testimony of how God has used physical suffering to heal her faith.  After countless surgeries, she now is able to go through any kind of difficulty, crisis or frightening event without the fear that used to plague her.  As she placed her life in God's hands, He has replaced her doubt and fear with faith.  Now she encourages others to never give up on God but to simply let Him take the lead in their lives.  She knows that God used her physical ailments to bring about a wholeness that she otherwise would not have experienced.

When I ask Jesus to heal me physically, He will do it in a way that glorifies Him and works to restore my relationship with Him.

Emotional

The vines wrapped around the branches of the tree, working to pull it down by the force of it's growth.  Deep gashes formed in the bark of the victim as the trailing plant disguised it's destructiveness with the beauty of it's leaves.  If I didn't cut the vine from the tree, it would soon die from the efforts of that deceptive plant.

Destructive vines are so much like the sin of unforgiveness in my life.  When I refuse to let go of the hurt or pain that someone causes me, I put myself at the mercy of a callous organism that will tirelessly wear me down until I am a shell of the woman God created me to be.  Instead of living an abundant life, it will be empty and full of sorrow, bitterness and chaos.

Jesus, however, offers healing from the wounds caused by the sin of another.  Maybe the life of a dear one was ripped from my arms through no fault of my own.  All I want is my child back, but the actions of a stranger took that option away from me.  How dare he.  

My anger could threaten to overtake me as I think of all the words that have been said over the years: Hurtful, thoughtless and vindictive.  I am always on the verge of an emotional outburst as the resentment simmers just under the surface.

My life has been a series of bad choices driven by the pain from within.  As a child, my innocence was taken from me at a young age.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about my molester.  How can he live in freedom when he has left me in bondage?  It's not fair.  

I can live in anger and bitterness, or I can do the unthinkable and forgive.  As one who has been forgiven through the cleansing blood of Christ, I have the power to let go of all the pain, anger and bitterness I've been holding onto for so many years.  I can put the fate of the one who hurt me into the hands of the One who is just.  Then, I can let the shackles that have oppressed me fall free.

Take a moment to listen to the words of Matthew West in "Forgiven" and meditate on how letting go can set us free.

When I ask Jesus to heal me emotionally, He will use forgiveness to heal my wounds. 

Spiritual

"It is finished."  As Jesus uttered those final words on the cross, He completed the mission for which God had sent Him to earth to accomplish.  He made a way for me, a sinner, to reconcile my relationship with my Father, a holy and perfect God. (John 3:16-17)

When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I received the promise of eternal life.  It wasn't until years later, however, when I finally made Jesus Lord of my life, that I began to experience the intimacy of a relationship with my Creator.  He began to teach me things about Him and His kingdom that I would never otherwise had learned.

There are so many things that can get between me and my Love.  There are my own fleshly desires, my fears and doubts, my relationships with other humans, my hobbies and other pursuits.  In a nutshell, anything or anyone can become an idol that steals my attention away from God.

Jesus offers spiritual healing through the Gospel.  The Good News of Jesus dying on the cross for my sins, taking the punishment my sins deserved, is not just a one-time message that only has the power to save me from Hell.  The blood of Jesus also gives me the ability to destroy strongholds in my life that keep me away from God.  

I am made right with God through the blood of Jesus, and His sacrifice continues to carry power in my life to allow me to walk with Him.  It is important that I preach the gospel to myself and allow Jesus to continually restore my relationship to the Father.

I can easily be duped into thinking the work I do in the church will draw me closer to God, but the Gospel reminds me that I am saved by faith, not be works, and this ability to believe is a gift of God.  I can't earn heaven and I can't be good enough on my own to please God.  (Ephesians 2:8-10)  I need Jesus and must constantly remember my vulnerability.  God saved me out of His great love and mercy: I can take no credit whatsoever, nor can I pay Him back for all He's done for me.

Quite often I forget the Gospel and think I am doomed to eternal death for my wicked heart.   I recognize the sin within me and fall into the idea that there's no hope left.  I need to remember how the blood of Jesus rescued me from condemnation so I can live freely in relation with Him.  (Romans 8:1)

Forgetting the forgiveness I have with God through Jesus Christ, I often take up the challenge of trying to change my behavior in my own strength in order to look more Christ-like.  I fall short, and then feel like a failure.  All the while I am drifting further and further away from my Savior.  The Gospel cleanses away my desire to earn forgiveness and gives me the power to freely receive it, opening myself up to the abundant life He intended for me.

When I ask Jesus to heal me spiritually, He restores my relationship with Him through the power of the cross.

Healing can come in many forms: to my body, my heart or my spirit.   Jesus has the power to heal all types of ailments, but His ultimate goal is to restore my relationship to the Father.  When I put myself into His hands, I may be surprised with the outcome, but I will never feel more at peace as I realize the healing power of faith.

As I begin this day I pray for healing to every part of my being.

How do I want God to heal me physically but I refuse to forgive someone who has hurt me?  Is there a connection?

When am I afraid to let go of certain "idols" because they seem so closely identified with who I am?

I am the LORD Your God

"This third I will bring into the fire;

I will refine them like silver

and test them like gold.

They will call on my name

and I will answer them;

I will say, 'They are my people,'

And they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"

Zechariah 13:9

He faced a pack of hungry lions in their den.

Another lost his wealth and his family all in one day.

His faith earned him death by stoning.

One man faced ridicule and mockery for 120 years because of his obedience to God's calling.

Still others face pain and suffering due to health issues.

Many suffer death and loss.

Did someone say following Jesus was easy?

I have heard it said that if we would only tap into the power of Jesus, we would be delivered from all pain and suffering.  The truth is that I won't experience that kind of bliss this side of heaven.  John's Revelation revealed that, "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)  Until the new heaven and the new earth is created, however, I am stuck with life in a broken, fallen world.  

But those of us who follow Jesus do not suffer in vain.  God does not protect us from the fire of trial and tribulation.  Rather, He uses it to bring about His purposes.  I can trust Him that, "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  (Romans 8:28)

Purification

When a silversmith refines silver he holds it to the hottest part of the fire, attentively watching it lest it be destroyed.  The blistering flames burn away all the impurities, leaving pure silver.  He knows when the process is finished when he can see his own reflection in the precious metal.

God is our refiner.  Malachi 3:3 says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."  The LORD holds me to the hottest part of the fire, guiding me through unbearable circumstances that bring pain and suffering.  His loving eyes, however, never leave me lest I be destroyed.   

As I go through the difficulties of life, impurities of sin like selfishness, pride, lust, jealousy, hatred and envy are burned away leaving a more pure form which reflects the character of my Maker.  Others notice more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control as they perceive God's Spirit mirrored in the parts which have gone through the fire.

This means when I face health issues lining up like so many soldiers in formation, I can trust my Refiner to be using the pain and suffering in a way that will glorify Him.  Or when I lose my job, my life savings or my family, I can rest in the knowledge that God will use it as a hot, cleansing fire.  If nothing in my life seems to be going the way I had hoped, the thought that with struggle comes godliness can help to keep me pressing forward toward the prize.

Following Jesus does not mean life will be filled with only pleasurable and enjoyable things, but it does mean that the hard things will be expertly used by our loving and gracious Refiner.

Testing

I remember watching old westerns and seeing someone pay off a debt with a gold coin of unknown value.  The recipient would then bite down on the coin, knowing that if he could leave marks, it must be the real thing. 

While my dentist may not approve of this method of testing, it is a fairly reliable way to find out if an object is made from pure gold.  In fact, testing is necessary to determine whether gold is real and of what purity it is.  Several methods can be used including rubbing it across porcelain tile, holding it near a magnet, dropping acid on it or the aforementioned hardness test. Whichever method is used, testing is necessary to discover it's character.

In the same way, God tests me like gold.  He takes me on test runs to give me a chance to try out my faith.  As Peter said, "you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  (1 Peter 1:6b-7)

I can say that I have faith in God, but until I go through hard times I won't know whether or not that faith is real.  It's kind of like chairs.  Chairs are tested extensively and the chair industry has actually set standards to address issues such as the strength, durability, stability and safety of the furniture.  Even though I didn't know chairs were put through the kinds of hardships and ordeals a seat might receive in regular use, I am glad to know that I can trust them when I go to place my full weight in one.  There's nothing worse than sitting in a chair that fails!

Before God can trust me with big assignments, I must pass the little tests He sends my way.  If I can handle the little bit of money He provides for me, it might be His plan to trust me with more. If I show myself to be faithful to His calling in a small assignment, He could have bigger things in mind.  If I am able to trust Him to fight my battles for me when faced with a minor dispute, maybe He'll try me out in a larger battle.

Following Jesus means I'll be trusted to do the big things once my faith has been tested in the small things.

Proper Perspective

There is so much to fear in this world: terrorist attacks, financial ruin, health failure, war, and random acts of violence.  I also am afraid of failure, of looking like a fool, of being left all alone in the world or of revealing my true self.  There is a lot to fear.

God reminds me in Isaiah 43 that I have nothing to fear because He has chosen me and I belong to Him.  He is the LORD my God!  Take a moment to meditate on the words of this beautiful message set to music by Hillsong.  

Even though I mess up more times than I can count, I belong to a loving, gracious and merciful God who will not turn away from me.  I have nothing to fear because He has my back. Because of the blood of Jesus, my transgressions are remembered no more.  Then I can claim these words of God told through the prophet Zechariah for myself:  "I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph.  I will restore them because I have compassion on them.  They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them." (Zechariah 10:6)

Remembering who I am in Christ, a child of God, will help me to put things in the proper perspective.  He is the Lord my God. . . and I have nothing to fear!

Following Jesus doesn't mean I'll be shielded from terrifying situations, but as His child I need not fear.

As Erma Bombeck is famously credited with saying, "If life is a bowlful of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?"   Living my life for Jesus is not all roses and sunshine.  I must expect difficulties as they are used to refine me, test my faith and help put things in proper perspective, because I belong to God, the maker of heaven and earth!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember how God uses difficult times.

How do I focus more on the fire instead of keeping my eyes on the Refiner?

When am I so afraid that I lose sight of the LORD?