“And He said, ‘If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen 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.’”

Welcome to week 9 in our Foundations of Faith series. This week we will be diving into the topic of healing and what the Bible teaches about both physical healing as well as spiritual, mental, and emotional healing.  

We believe that provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the physical body, and that prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures as privileges for the Church in this present age. Jesus Christ is our healer, and He works in and through His people to produce physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental healing. We recognize that all healing is from the Lord, whether by divine healing or medical healing, whether immediate or prolonged. The redemptive work of Jesus Christ offers us access to His healing touch in all areas of our lives.  

Today’s verse takes us back to the book of Exodus where God is speaking to His people as they wander in the desert. The Israelites have been freed from Egypt and have escaped the pursuit of Pharaoh through a miraculous move by God to literally split the waters of the Red Sea. The people crossed on dry land and observed safely from the other side as God swallowed up the pursuing army by releasing the waters. It’s an amazing story and I highly recommend that you go read it for yourself.  

Moses, God’s appointed leader, has just led them to Marah after wandering through the wilderness of the desert for three days with no water. They find water in Marah, but it is bitter and not drinkable. Moses cries out to God for help and God shows him a particular tree. Moses throws the tree into the waters, and they miraculously become sweet and drinkable, providing for the people in their time of great need.  

God goes on to speak through Moses saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen 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.” God establishes for His people that He is the source of their provision and healing. He is the God who sees them and if they follow Him, He will be the God who heals them as well.

The same God who saw and provided for His people in Exodus is the same God who sees and provides for His people today. His nature has not changed. He is still the God who heals us. This is so important as we begin our discussion on healing. We live in a culture that does not recognize the hand of God in the healing of the sick or oppressed. We’ve replaced God with science, medicine, and healing herbs and plants. We’ve separated out these amazing gifts from the One who gave them to us in the first place.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love my essential oils and I am a huge fan of the daily medicine I take that is literally keeping me alive. When one of my kids gets strep throat, I am super thankful for the invention of antibiotics that kick it fast and keeps them safe. I love that we’ve discovered ways to transplant organs, use robotics, and even replace whole body parts with synthetic pieces to help save lives and give people hope. I am hugely thankful for the machines in hospitals that help people heal and I am so grateful for the amazing medical staff who dedicate their lives to making people well.  

But none of that, not a single piece, would be possible apart from our God. Period. We can try and take credit for it. But we would be lying to ourselves. God alone is the healer. If you study the human body at all, it is a wonder we have figured any of this out in the first place. Our bodies are such mysteries! But the God who made them also knows what they need. It is by His wisdom that we learn and develop medicine. It is by His intervention that treatments like the medicine I take daily even work! And those amazing doctors, nurses, and scientists- It was HE who created them, gave them their skill, and made a way for them to develop like they did.  

See friends, whether it is a miraculous healing like Moses throwing a tree into a pool of water and changing it from undrinkable to drinkable, or a medical intervention in our moder age- God is our healer. He is the One who makes it possible. He is the source of the life we need. He is the reason we have wisdom, truth, talents, and giftings. He is the ultimate healer.  

And in the same way that God didn’t just speak and turn the water to sweet, He instead used Moses to accomplish His provision, we too get the honor of being a part of what God does. He may use some of us to pray for the sick, interceding on their behalf and lifting them up. He may call us to provide emotional healing or mental healing through mentorship and counsel. He may call some of us to be doctors, nurses, or other medical staff. And still some might be called to be scientists, searching for answers to questions only God can show us. We all have an invitation to not only be a recipient of His healing, but also to participate in bringing His healing to the world.  

This week as we dive deeper into the idea of healing, I want to challenge you to look at everything through the lens of God’s provision and grace. See how amazing He is and give Him glory for it. And I want to challenge us all to take a step back and ask, “How might God be inviting me to participate in His healing ministry to the world?” We love you all!

God, Thank You for being our healer. Thank You for caring, for interceding, for loving us that much. Thank You that all healing comes from You. Thank You for inviting Your people to be a part of Your healing for the world. I want to be ready and willing to move in that. I want to cooperate with You not only to receive healing in my own life, but to help bring it to others as well. Use me and lead me, Lord.

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen