God Heals Because of Who He Is

Faith means being grasped by a power that is greater than we are, a power that shakes us and turns us, and transforms and heals us. Surrender to this power is faith.
~Paul Johannes Oskar Tillich (1886-1965) 


And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”
~ Exodus 15:26
 
יהוה רפאך
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits,
Who forgives all your iniquity,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
~ Psalm 103:1-5
 
His name is YHWH Rapha

 

Oh beloved, it is true.  Everything in us wants to doubt it.  We want to hedge our bets.  But still we know it is true.  Body, soul and spirit, we know it is true.


He heals.

He repairs.

He purifies.

The issue of healing really is more an issue of faith than anything else.   And maybe here, is where we find that faith is most definitely NOT believing something ‘real hard.’  Because as hard as we try to believe, that approach is always broken and prone to epic failure.  

This quote by an expert is a great picture of what this writer is trying here to communicate:

There are three kinds of faith in Christ:
Struggling faith, like a man in deep water desperately swimming. 
Clinging faith, like a man hanging to the side of a boat. 
Resting faith, like a man safely within the boat
 (and able to reach out with a hand to help someone else get in). 
~Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)

Perhaps both what is above and below are why we do not see as much healing as Scripture tells us we should expect.

For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.
~ Psalm 38:18


Sin really is the ultimate disease from which we must be healed.  Some people call things like addiction disease.  But addiction is not about disease (except the disease of self).  And while there are things like viruses and rogue cancer cells roaming around in our bodies – even these are by-products of the sin and fallen-ness that has crashed down on creation. 

And sin separates us from the One who heals; sin sets us ill-at-ease.  We are diseased by sin.

Still He heals.

How?

Can we see it?  This faith that sees the healing of our bodies, minds and spirits has nothing to do with us.  It has everything to do with Him.  He has named Himself the God who heals.  He has spoken that He cannot lie, and He does not change.

So, perhaps so much healing does not happen because we really are leaning against the wrong wall of support.  Are we trying to lean on our faith in Him?  Or are we leaning on the very good and faithful reputation of the One who heals?

Well?

Perhaps, even tonight, we could simply lean on Him, simply rest, and simply wait and watch Him be who He is!

Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable—and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God.
~Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)

2 thoughts on “God Heals Because of Who He Is

  1. Amen! I really needed to hear that! So often we get engulfed in our own lives and struggles that we forget to be still and know that he is the LORD. Thanks for this!

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