Where do You Turn in Crisis, Pain or Sickness?

4/15/2001

…. just as an example of what I am contending with in my mind right now. I am having a nasty chest cold, and the (non-believing) friend who is living with us right now, offered me some medicine. Can we truly expect to live (be) by “every word that proceeds from His mouth” or should we rely also on the resources of this world?

Hi … Faith is tied—not to externals, but to the voice of God. The CURRENT thought of God. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the VOICE of God.” (Not “graphe”—the written concept or teaching, but “rhematos”—the SPOKEN.) In other words, there is a REASON Father doesn’t and never has healed every illness. Not of Paul, not of Timothy, not of Stephen. He CAN, and we should LOOK to Him—but not with a PRECONCIEVED idea of what God wants in THIS particular situation. Does that make sense?

For example, in 1Cor.11 God speaks of “some are sick and others of you are dying.” NOW, what good would it do for them to “trust God for a healing”—when GOD was the one bringing the sickness, in order to awaken them to the lack of oneness (“one loaf-ness”, ch.10) and self-centered living in their midst? And Jezebel on her bed of affliction that Jesus spoke of to the church in Thyatira…could she have trusted God to heal her? Of course not. It is the CURRENT THOUGHT of God that we’re after, not healings per se. Sometimes He is desiring to heal us. Sometimes He is wanting OTHERS to come to us and participate in the healing, for Reasons of His own (James 5). Sometimes He is teaching or disciplining or demonstrating something. There are many examples in the Scriptures of all of these things.

SO, just a few thoughts. Seek HIM, and not “healing,” and you may get both. : ) But, He’s not ashamed of the laws of gravity and entropy and conservation of momentum. And He’s not ashamed of the antibodies He has placed in our bloodstream. Nor is He ashamed of Doctor Luke or Paul, practicing medicine without a license (“Drink a little wine, Timothy. It’s good for your stomach and frequent illnesses”) IF that was how He desired to function in any particular case. The REAL issue is TO WHAT, OR TO WHOM, DO WE TURN IN CRISIS OR PAIN OR SICKNESS??!! Automatically the world’s ways of relief? Or GOD, who may lead us towards the Pepto-Bismol or the antibiotic creme—OR may Heal us by the antibodies already in our blood stream—OR any number of other possibilities. It’s our HEARTS and TRUST and DEPENDENCE ON HIM that He’s after, rather than ANY “automatic” answer for or against anything.

I hope that makes some sense. I surely appreciate your heart in your note. Don’t ever let anyone steal that away from you! ANYWAY, consider yourself prayed for. : ) Love in Christ Jesus…..

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  The Nature of the Miraculous