It’s no surprise that in our world, we are constantly encountering all kinds of physical pain and sicknesses… All of us are no strangers to these things. Verses like this can be both encouraging and discouraging. God can heal sickness, as He did for Publius’ father, and sometimes He heals today. Yet, sometimes healing doesn’t come on this side of Heaven. This tension is hard. Even Jesus didn’t heal everyone He met, but He healed us on the cross. By His wounds, we are healed; He was pierced so we could be whole.
God heals, and yet sometimes healing doesn’t happen on the spot. The Kingdom of God is here, and it’s also not yet. In light of this verse, this is my encouragement for us all… Ask Jesus. Pray the bold prayers. Believe wholeheartedly that Jesus can heal and that nothing is too hard for him. And, in the answers that are anything other than “yes”, may we trust Him completely. God is more than able and more than capable to bring about the healing you have been longing for.
I think of the story in Daniel of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when the three men are about to be thrown into the fire before King Nebuchadnezzar. Their response is incredible. Daniel 3:17-18 says, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Jesus, we pray that your Kingdom come, and your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Even if your will hurts more than our own, you have shown us that you can be trusted. Jesus, you can heal us; we know you will. And even if you don’t right now, we will not bow to idols. Would you give us faith that you can heal, and trust for the times you don’t? Amen.