When first confronted with physical symptoms, what is your first thought and where do you think to turn for help and healing? Who does your mind turn to first? God? A doctor? And if God first, do you have a back-up plan in mind, to go to a doctor if God seems not to be responding? And if the doctor first, is God your back-up plan if medical science is failing and has no answer or cure for you? A major question there. Who/where are you placing your trust?
Does God need help from man? Or the help of modern medical science? Did Jesus? Did He send anybody to a doctor first, and only when that failed, would heal someone? The Word of God not only promises healing to believers who would avoid fear and believe only, but commands His believing disciples to heal the sick under the delegated Authority He gave them in His Name, empowered by the Indwelling Presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
It is easier to believe that doctors need the help and guiding wisdom or Hand of God in their medical practices. Some Christians even believe that God gave man modern medical science and medicines as or for the means of healing. Really? Why then did not Jesus simply give man all this great wisdom of God so that man could heal the sick on his own without Him? And what about all this wonderful healing medicine we see advertised on television every hour, followed by required presentations of all the potential or likely risks and consequences that could accompany or follow, including even possible death! Wow. That is all from God? His plan and provision for man, whom He Loves? I don’t think so! God really does, “Do no harm!”
God’s Word tells us how to receive healing through single-minded, pure or purified faith in Him. The example of Jesus leading a blind man out of his city, with its atmosphere of unbelieving, doubting “world system” thinking, so that his mind could be turned to greater and purer faith, and receive his sight, is very instructive. All of us were born into a fallen, secular, “world-system “ way of thinking and believing. We all struggle with it as part of our Romans 12: 2 effort to “be not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Especially in this media focused world we live in, this is even more difficult. And it is one thing to take the man out of the city, as Jesus did, but something else to get the “city” out of the man. It demands strong determination, watchful aware vigilance, and the help of the Holy Spirit. James 4:7 instructs us to “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” We do not attain the latter without first the former. We need to submit to God and His ways, come into agreement with Him and His Word. Then we CAN effectively resist the devil and his deceiving lies, demand and watch him leave. God plus you, together, bring victory. His Power mixed with your believing faith. Let’s change our inner “cities”, and support each other in doing so!
“According to your faith be it unto you.” Where are you placing yours?
Carole Robinson
A God Listener
01/16/2016
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