Sickness and illness are real issues we deal with; when we face them, we have to fight the mindset that says we must simply resign ourselves to ill health. The world tries to instill in us the attitude that this is a part of life, and we must therefore accept it. However, this kind of thinking isn’t God’s will for believers. Under the old covenant, diseases were part of the curses that resulted from failing to keep all the law; however, things have changed since then.
God deals with man according to covenants. The old covenant was all about punishment and condemnation; that ended when Jesus made it obsolete, and established a new covenant that was all about faith in God’s grace. Jesus went to the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law. Believing in what He did brings us out from being under the curse and moves us under the blessing of Abraham that God offers to everyone.
Our trust in God positions us to receive all the blessings He wants to heap on us, but disbelief blocks those blessings. When Jesus went from town to town healing those who came to Him, their faith allowed them to receive miracles. When He came to His own country, He could do no mighty work, and He marveled at their unbelief.
Under the new covenant, our healing has already been made available; our trust in this is the key to receiving it. The centurion soldier believed so strongly in Jesus’ authority to heal that when the soldier simply took Jesus at His word, his servant was healed that very hour. When the woman who had suffered from a bleeding disorder for twelve years had enough faith in Jesus to push her way through the crowds to touch His robe, her faith made her whole. That same healing power is available to us today, on any level we need it.
Prayer:
God, the world tries to complicate healing, but Your Word makes it very simple. Our acts of faith demonstrate our belief in Your undeserved, unearned favor that made healing a finished work. We’re grateful for that. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 28:21-29
Hebrews 8:13, NKJV
Galatians 3:13, 14
Mark 6:1-6
Matthew 8:5-13
Mark 5:25-34
Luke 8:43-48