Does God Still Heal?
It started with a sniffle and a headache. “It must be my allergies,” I thought. I began taking allergy medication, but there was no relief. “I must have a cold,” I reasoned to myself. So, I took cold medicine and still, no relief. Then one morning I woke up and couldn’t get out of bed. My energy was depleted. “Could it be that I have the coronavirus?” I wondered.
My husband and I both tested positive for COVID-19. We spent the next three weeks in our room, isolated from our children, who now had to fend for themselves. The enemy of my soul began to have a field day in my mind. Constant thoughts of abandonment and despair filled my head. My dreams were torturous, leaving me unable to get any rest.
After days of this cycle, my spirit went into action. I began to take authority over my thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5). I began to force myself to get out of bed and sit outside in the sun. I charged myself to walk around my room. At times, taking simple steps left me gasping for air.
One night I was barely able to breathe. I felt certain that my life was coming to an end. I prayed, “Should I go to the hospital?” I felt that God was directing me to stay at home. With that in mind, I began to tell the Lord that I didn’t want my life to end, but if it had to, I hoped that I had done everything that He wanted me to do. I asked Him to find my husband someone to be a wife and a mother for our children, and to comfort all those who would miss me.
A Scripture from Isaiah came to mind and I declared that “by His stripes I am healed”:
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)
Then: He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT).
I petitioned the Lord for my healing. You see, this was not the first time I’d had been presented with an urgent need for healing, and I knew that if He had done it for me before, He could certainly do it again. I prayed fervently through the night. Gasping desperately for air, I cried out to the Lord. After praying, I remember experiencing a peace that I can’t explain.
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NLT)
I drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I awoke feeling different. After weeks of having a fever over 101, I took my temperature and it was 98.7. God did it! I was healed. I immediately praised God for what He had done. The Scripture that came to me was from the Gospel of Mark:
And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” Mark 5:34 (NLT)
Healing is real. God is still well able to do all things for you.
Questions to consider:
Do you have a need or situation that you feel is impossible for God to work with?
Would you accept His invitation to trust Him with all things, including the outcome?
Today’s Devotions
February 26
Leviticus 17:11 11For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.
Blood brings life giving oxygen and nutrients to every cell in our bodies. It carries away the waste from every cell. Without this wonderful process of both bringing nutrition and carrying away waste, we quickly die. Our brains cease to function after only a short time without sufficient blood flow. Truly, blood is our physical life.
God told Moses that the reason He designed us this way was so that the blood could make atonement for us on the altar. It makes atonement or covering for our sins. As the priest slew the atonement sacrifice, he would gather the blood to sprinkle before the Ark of the Covenant where God’s presence was manifest. The blood brings life and takes away impurity.
Man’s rebellion against God is so serious that death alone is a sufficient penalty. Since life is in the blood, blood must be spilled as justice for sin. From the foundation of the earth, God determined that it would be the blood of His own Son. That was the only blood that could take away the impurity of the world. All other blood was insufficient to remove sin. Each person had their own sin that needed to be removed. The blood of animals was merely a picture of what was needed, until the sufficient blood was shed, the blood acceptable to God for the sins of the world.
Thank God today that He made a way to do what we could never do. Without the blood of Jesus there would be no hope for the removal of the impurities of our soul. Like a person with liver failure, you would have died on your own poisons. But the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sins.
Pray: Thank Him for the wonder that took place upon the cross.
Spiritual Joy
From: InTouch ministries
Focusing on Jesus is the key to joy, even during times of distress.
The apostle Paul demonstrated that spiritual joy is possible even during times of adversity. In fact, his epistle to the Philippians, written during a time of imprisonment, is known for its repeated references to rejoicing. But have you ever felt as if you’ve lost your joy? This can happen for several reasons:
• Wrong focus. By centering on Jesus, Paul was able to praise God despite harsh trials. Concentrating on difficulties can cause delight to vanish. Refocus through praise to bring it back.
• Disobedience. Sin steals our joy because it disrupts our fellowship with God (Psalm 66:18). As we receive His forgiveness and obey Him, joy returns.
• Regret. We crowd out gladness when we dwell on past mistakes. The Lord has forgiven us (1 John 1:9). He wants us to choose to live in His grace and move ahead.
• Fear. Joy and fear cannot coexist. We are called to live by faith, asking God to meet today’s needs and trusting Him with the future.
• Others’ suffering. How can we rejoice when others hurt? Romans 12:15 says we’re to weep with them, but we are also to offer the hope of God’s presence, power, and provision.
A consistently downcast spirit is a poor witness for hope (Psalm 42:11). Fix your gaze on the Savior and let His joy become yours. Then it can overflow to those around you.
The Eyes of a Servant
“To You I have raised my eyes … Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master … so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He is gracious to us.” – Psalm 123:1-2 NASB
This psalm was written by a man who understood the importance of having a right relationship with God. He knew that we all need to know God personally and depend on Him. We need to remember that He is God Almighty, our Creator, the One who reigns over the universe.
The psalmist also understood the importance of waiting on God. To help us understand this attitude, he pictured the way good servants wait upon and desire to please their masters. They trust them to do the right thing at the right time.
This, he knew, provided a perfect picture of the attitude we are to have toward God. He wants us to depend on Him, confident He will care for us and guide us. We should be so committed to serving Him that we will be always ready to respond, always listening.
If we depend on our human understanding, we can find ourselves rushing to do what makes sense to us. But the Bible reminds us of our limits and God’s sovereignty and omnipotence. We need to wait on Him in every situation. Even if we face challenges, we must trust Him completely, confident that His timing is perfect.
Commit every situation to God. Be sensitive to His leading. Look to Him and depend on Him. Seek to serve Him with the attitude of a servant. Trust in Him. Remember, He is faithful. And He loves you.