It would be hard, next to impossible, I think, for any Christian going through a physical trial not to wonder about God's healing power. We all know of it, yet like an illusive and beautiful butterfly, it is hard to possess. Everyone has an opinion, a belief about when and why He chooses to bless us with it. We watch it fly by, anxious to grab it, yet not wanting to scare it away with our determined and awkward efforts toward knowing and claiming it for ourselves.
I am no different, and my current battle with cancer finds me pondering the subject of healing. I have arrived at some conclusions, which I hope are right. I sometimes think this is a subject that we Christians don't agree on because perhaps God isn't Someone who we can totally "figure out". What does He seem to tell us in His word? We all have our own opinions, and all would argue that their view is more scriptural than another who disagrees with him. I give the reader complete freedom to do just that - but indulge me with your consideration.
God does heal today, and some would argue that an immediate healing following prayer is the only way to see God's hand in a situation of physical trial. But I would say that a slow healing also displays God's power. Some would consider medical intervention a thing which excludes God's power. Can a Christian seeking medical help to overcome his or her physical problems claim to have been healed by God?
We know that God does indeed allow His children to go through trials for the "perseverance and perfection of their faith", and as we are admonished in James 1, we are to count this as joy and rejoice in our trials because through them, we know God is working in our lives. Can we expect that God does sometimes send a physical trial for a purpose in our lives?
I think the answer to this is "yes". Paul himself had a physical trial with his eyes, which God chose not to take away. I know I have benefited greatly from this trial. God has used it to increase my faith and show me His faithfulness to be close to me in spite of my habit of "busyness" which excluded time with Him. He has shown me His presence through His word, a great treasure I used to neglect. He has comforted me over and over again, and assured me I will indeed recover from this disease to rejoice in Him again, before He takes me home.
We have the prayer Jesus modeled for us, which shows us how to pray. In it, we are instructed to praise God, and ask for forgiveness, and we are taught to pray for His will on earth. I think this is key to the issue of healing. Do we stop before pouring out our requests to His to ask that He do his will?
The soldier on the battlefield must receive orders before he knows what to do. Will his orders tell him to retreat, advance, or stay put? Will he be miraculously air-lifted out of the situation at the discretion of the commander? He waits, perhaps hoping for any of those commands, yet, he is still until he receives his orders.
Can we do the same? Is it God's will to heal immediately, to seek medical help, to do nothing but wait on Him? I see God working in all these situations! He is not limited to our ideas of how to do things. He wants us to look to Him in faith, not to continue stubbornly seeking what we want when we want it. As for me, I know He is healing me, and that my doctors are one of His tools.
At the end of my trial, the butterfly will circle me, enticing me with it's beautiful colors, and land on me. God is good!
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